Narratiff: Beacon by Peter Nitsch
Reading time: about 6 minutes
#offchain #onchain
Beacon, like its predecessor Where Dinosaurs Walked by Heather N. Stout, is a 360º project touching on all mediums: digital, physical, audio and writing, in line with Narratiff's blueprint of next-gen story-telling. For collectors, Beacon and all projects within the Narratiff framework, offer exclusive access to the artist creative process and not just the final work.
About the series
The Beacon series finds its origins in a solitary image taken for the project "Portuguese Sea" by Bernardo Caria, inspired by Fernando Pessoa's poem of the same name from 1922. This project explores various interpretations of the concept of home, with the sea serving as a symbol of inspiration, exploration, and identity.
A year later, Peter Nitsch transformed the idea into a visual art series called Beacon, focusing on the vastness and promise embodied by the sea, contrasting with the constraints of urban life, especially in megacities. Amidst the chaos of city living, where people often feel lost in concrete jungles and noise, finding the serenity Pessoa sought in the sea proves challenging.
Amidst the urban labyrinth, a gentle light reveals hidden beauty. Neon glows from abandoned bus stop billboards, reminiscent of coastal beacons, illuminating the cityscape with colors reminiscent of the sea—rough yet radiant, evoking a yearning for home. The stories of those embarking on their journeys remain mysteries to us; we catch glimpses of them as they wait or fade into the distance. It's the glow of the bus stop that hints at a narrative, leaving us to imagine the rest.
The tales of those setting out on their journeys remain shrouded in mystery to us; we merely glimpse them as they wait or vanish into the distance. It's only the illumination of the bus stop that hints at a narrative, leaving us to conjure the story within our imaginations.
Adding depth to the series, documenting the disappearing Bangkok bus stops adorned with horizontal backlit advertisements becomes a reflection of identity and change. As 2024 unfolds, these iconic structures are gradually replaced by more practical counterparts, marking the end of an era.
Metaphorically speaking, they symbolize life's transitions and changes, offering a longing for home and belonging akin to the comfort of a guiding beacon for sailors. Through visual imagery and metaphorical depth, the series Beacon reflects on urban transformation and the human desire for connection and belonging.
The framework
At the heart of the Beacon series lies photography, offering a unique 360-degree narrative journey spanning various media, presented in three parts - The Coast (mixed media), The Sea (photography), and The Wave (collectors' reward airdrops) for “Narratiff” with Colonna Contemporary.
The photos from The Sea #01 to #16 show the front of the bus stops, while #17 to #20 show the back. I really liked the back view because it feels abstract and imperfect, yet human. Some have people, some don't. I didn't want people to be the main focus; it's the lit-up ads that tell the story. That's why I didn't go inside the bus or aim for a traditional documentary style.
The works The Sea #01, #05, #07, #15 and #19 come with a physical signed print, which are also countersigned by Colonna Contemporary and Atomic Form as a proof of exhibition. They also have T.R.A.C.E. chips from Transient Labs. T.R.A.C.E. is a system using smart contracts and hardware to give a digital certificate for physical art backed by blockchain. Each print has a chip linked to its NFT artwork. Print #19 comes with an AI video called "The Coast /imagine #02" and a 32" Muse Frame.
This brings us to the mixed media section of 9 pieces titled "The Coast," which can be likened to the layers in the film "Inception," delving deeper with each level. It begins with 3 bot prompts, "The Coast /describe img The Sea #01, #02 and #03," where Nitsch inputted his photos and let the bot interpret them.
Next, Nitsch combined those bot descriptions with his own interpretations and gave Midjourney a new prompt, creating "The Coast /imagine #01." He wrote this prompt directly on the AI-generated image in Photoshop to connect it with its origin.
I wanted to capture sea waves in my work. I found a cc0 code by Bagoof that I tweaked to make my own generative wave effect, resulting in pieces like "The Coast/data mosh displacement img The Sea #11, #12 and #13." Number 11 reveals the code I used, while #12 and #13 display the finished wave images.
The idea behind the main AI video, "The Coast /imagine #02," is to reimagine the setting of the Beacon through a different artistic lens. By inverting the footage by 180°, the figures appear to walk on the ceiling, creating an abstract wave-like effect. What was once the roof, illuminated by a light, now transforms into the Beacon itself.
The Beacon series by Peter Nitsch is a poetic view on commuting. The Beacons’ neon glow is illuminating urban labyrinths, a longing for home amidst the sprawling city's noise. In three parts the photography weaves a 360º tale of exploration and identity.
About Colonna Contemporary
Colonna Contemporary stands at the vanguard of modern art galleries, dedicated to showcasing the works of emerging and established artists who push the boundaries of creativity and expression. With a keen eye for talent and a commitment to art that challenges and inspires, Colonna Contemporary has become a vital hub for art lovers seeking the new, the unseen, and the transformative.
About Peter Nitsch
Peter Nitsch, a multi-disciplinary designer, photographer, producer, and founder of DRAWLIGHTS, is fundamentally an artist and photographer. Raised in the Upper Palatinate of eastern Bavaria, he earned his BA in communication design from Munich University of Applied Sciences. Influenced by his childhood and the German skater scene of the late eighties, Nitsch's work delves into individual and collective identities against urban backdrops, exploring cultural realities. In 2020, he became a lifetime member of the Royal Photographic Society of Thailand.
Colonna Contemporary: Narratiff
X: @ColonnaContempo
Foundation: @beacon
Photos copyright Peter Nitsch
DRAWLIGHTS | 1/1 – one post/one photographer, weekly. Off-chain and on-chain. By Peter Nitsch, lens-based artist, a member of NFT Now 🌐 and lifetime Member of the Royal Photographic Society of Thailand.