DAOs A blockchain-based application not intervening, but strengthening the agility of contemporary arts

Abstract

SHORT PAPER. This paper discusses the blockchain-based application DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) as a relevant new mechanism of artistic practice in the contemporary arts. It not only confronts the complexity of the modern society through its comprehensive application potential. It also channels segments of the contemporary art discourse such as political qualities, participatory art and cybernetic forces through active use cases. DAOs enable the interconnection of culture, technology and ecology. Using the most recent publications regarding blockchain technology as well as in-depth research on current artistic movements, it is possible to observe a complex manifestation of the matter within the contemporary arts during the concept's comparatively brief existence since its technical implementation around 2016.