Amanda E. Metzger
Ever, 21.12.2023
The Ever Tokens series emerged from the installation and participatory work Ever (2023) by the Swiss artist Amanda E. Metzger. The five NFTs in the HEK collection bear the series title Ever, each with an individual date.
The works consist solely of text and follow the structure of diary entries or other dated notes, written in classic print, black on a white background. The title, in larger font, is the respective date, with time and location (always listed as Basel, Klybeckstrasse) on the line below. Following that is a text written in the first person, in English, describing personal thoughts, experiences, and feelings. What reads like emotional notes from a young person struggling with issues such as studies and relationships are, in fact, AI-generated entries. It is noticeable that some entries end abruptly (in the middle of a word). The five NFTs differ in content and, at times, the length of the texts. However, what stands out is that the entries also feature occasional spelling mistakes, such as "Klybeckstasse" instead of "Klybeckstrasse" (31.12.2023).
The work Ever utilizes a modified GPT model, which Metzger trained with her personal diary entries from 2010 to 2023 (the models are retrained at irregular intervals, with the most recent retraining occurring in January 2024). This results in a work where the artist shares thoughts, secrets, fears, and desires with the world—without actually revealing anything personal. Viewers are left uncertain about which entries are fictional and which are based on real events.
Through the website ever.metzger.love, the audience can generate their own fictional diary entries, which are then saved as NFTs on the blockchain with the corresponding date. The series can be viewed through a calendar tool—much like a digital diary. These seemingly personal entries are made accessible to the public and are simultaneously sold as NFTs to individuals.
These NFTs become a form of memorabilia of the artist, which may outlive her and serve as a legacy or keepsake, thus also relating to the title, which refers to the duration for which the fictional memories will remain accessible. However, although the memories and anecdotes left behind may appear authentic, they are not necessarily truthful.
Text: Nina Liechti
