a2p Revisited: How an Artist Experiment Inspired Feral File
Hi Everyone,
In 2019, a2p (artist-to-peer network) was launched by Casey Reas, Rick Silva, Addie Wagenknecht, and the artist duo exonemo (SEMBO Kensuke and AKAIWA Yae). Mirroring the decentralized structures of peer-to-peer networks, a2p was about artists creating for other artists, fostering a vibrant community through the exchange of digital artworks without financial transactions. This experiment explored emerging concepts in digital art and built meaningful connections across continents and time zones.
At its core, a2p was simple: each artist contributed one artwork, which was editioned into ten copies plus one artist’s proof—an additional copy traditionally retained by the artist. Over one week, these artworks were actively traded among participants. This communal exchange helped artists expand their personal collections while rethinking traditional art market dynamics. Inspired by the Fluxus movement and early net.art, a2p challenged conventional notions of originality, emphasizing the global accessibility inherent to digital media.
The project expanded further with the launch of a2p 2.0, co-curated by Iris Long and Carol Sabbadini. This iteration intentionally broadened the scope by including artists from previously underrepresented regions, specifically China and South America. Notable artists involved include Shi Zheng, Cao Shu, aaajiao, and Antonia Bustamante, each bringing unique perspectives and voices to the project.
The community-driven, decentralized spirit of a2p provided key insights and momentum, inspiring Casey Reas and Sean Moss-Pultz to establish Feral File—a platform dedicated to reimagining how digital art is curated, experienced, and lived with daily.
Recently, we successfully migrated the remaining a2p artworks from the Bitmark blockchain to Ethereum. This transition ensures that key artworks, including 1570742540594-34287 by Kim Asendorf, Cube_1997 by LIA, Mode Confusion by Peter Burr, will be preserved into the future, open for discovery by new audiences. To explore more about the Bitmark blockchain, see last month’s reflections from Sean Moss-Pultz.
We invite you to explore these exhibitions through our online archives:
a2p 1.0 (October 2019)
a2p 2.0 (April 2020)
The Experiment (June 2023)
Feral File Alumni Updates:
LIA, Aleksandra Jovanić, and Melissa Wiederrecht are featured in Compositions in Code: The Art of Processing and p5.js at the Museum of the Moving Image. This exhibition highlights generative artworks made with Processing and p5.js, opening March 6 and running through August 23, 2025.
Peter Burr joins the PHI Immersive Residency in Montréal, Canada, a four-week program designed to support artists addressing contemporary social issues through immersive media, XR, and AI technologies. Additionally, Burr presents PEOPLE, a generative installation exploring the impacts of digital culture, now on view at MAD Arts.
James Merrill’s upcoming plotter art and NFT project, BUSY, will be released via Art Blocks in late March. The collection features 50 highly detailed 30”x22” artworks combining generative techniques and intricate plotter drawings. Sign up for the mailing list here to be the first to know about its launch.
Saeko Ehara’s Synergistic Metropolis will be featured in Akari, an immersive digital art exhibition inspired by Japanese culture, technology, and tradition, opening March 7 at InSpace, Mexico City. Tickets and info here.
Additional news:
Jan St. Werner has released new music, Axiomatic Rhythmicry, available now via Superpang. His solo exhibition, Vibraception: Excitatory Yards and Vibraceptional Plate, opens March 11 at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU) Zagreb, where visitors can explore architecture through experimental sound and interactive sonic sculptures.
Gene Kogan’s groundbreaking GAN-based artwork A Book from the Sky (2015)—the earliest documented artistic use of generative AI—will be released through Fellowship, with an auction scheduled for mid-March.
Ira Greenberg and John Simon Jr. are featured in Data Infused at the University of Connecticut Contemporary Art Galleries (UConn), exploring the creative potential of data through traditional and digital media, including custom code, AI, and algorithmic art. Curated by Wendy Wischer, the exhibition runs through April 25, 2025.
Mira Dayal’s solo exhibition, Steel Model of Paper Copy of Desk Top with Pencil Groove, opens March 8 at Spencer Brownstone Gallery, New York. The show explores language, labor, and industrial processes through sculpture and installation, running through April 26.
LaTurbo Avedon, Auriea Harvey, Kamilia Kard, and Mara Oscar Cassiani present UNI, DOUBLE, COLLECTIVE at Cubo Unipol Museo d’Impresa in Bologna, Italy. The exhibition explores how digital identity and virtual worlds shape our sense of self in the age of social media and the Metaverse. On view through May 31, 2025.
The Feral File Team