"I want my art to be so abstract that it loses all resemblance to representational objects. My works are purely abstract, making it impossible to identify specific things within them. However, if any likenesses do appear, they are of processes, systems, or movements – such as the flow of people, data, or cars in a city."
— Kim Asendorf on the X0X collection
Kim Asendorf (1981) is a German artist who creates abstract visual systems, animations, images, and sculptures through the use of automations and algorithms, engineering an aesthetic that is clearly digital. Driven by curiosity and a love for experimentation, Asendorf works ‘per-pixel’ in order to find new and surprising worlds in which simplicity and complexity blend; finding satisfaction when his work reveals things he had not considered himself before. He uses the internet-as-a-canvas for his minimalist structures, allowing for a wide range of interpretations. Throughout his career, Asendorf has been showcasing his work globally, including at institutions and showcases such as Transmediale in Berlin, ZKM Karlsruhe, and Eyebeam in New York.
In recent years, the rapid pace of technological progress and increasing digitalization have significantly impacted our society and with that, also the contemporary art scene. New technologies and their possible use in artistic practices, have greatly expanded the creative culture. As a result, artists are continually developing new aesthetics. The value of Kim Asendorf’s work lies not just in the codes he writes, but especially in how interaction with technology changes the nature of art.
Asendorf’s artistic inclinations began through the digital developments of the 1980s and 1990s. During this era, the worlds inside Nintendo consoles, the keyboards of Commodore 64, and Pentium 286 computers were entry points to new virtual sensibilities. “The pixelated graphics and command-line interfaces of these early devices cultivated an appreciation for digital abstraction in me” the artist recalls. “The limitations of early digital graphics, rather than being restrictive, I felt, actually provided a playground for creativity and experimentation.”
In these blocky graphics and beep-filled soundscapes, Asendorf saw the potential for art that could embrace digital technology as a medium in its own right. Since joining the Hic Et Nunc community in early 2021, he has become a key figure among generative artists. But long before the rise of Web3, he had already transformed his early fascination for digital graphics into a formal artistic pursuit at Kunsthochschule Kassel, where coding became a language through which he could communicate his ideas and emotions, sharing his visually striking works on platforms like Flickr and Tumblr for many years.
Through his art, Asendorf wants to engage in a dialogue, posing questions about perception, the authenticity of digital experiences, and the potential of generative systems to create meaning. This is for example evident in his creation of the pixel-sorting algorithm in 2012, which Asendorf released as open-source software and has since been widely used by designers and artists like Sarah Zucker. His approach views the digital canvas, with each pixel just as important as the other, as an infinite space for exploration.
Asendorf describes his style and method as 'Digital Expressionism', due to the inherent qualities of spontaneous creation and deep personal expression. "I communicate through art; it is my language, but it doesn’t have a big message behind it. What I put out now comes from my deepest inner self," the artist says, acknowledging a key element of expressionism where the artist’s inner emotions and personal vision are more important than following structured narratives.
Besides that, Asendorf appreciates the abstract potential of expressionism, recognizing that it can "involve something less explicit, something that offers room for interpretation — an abstraction." He feels that this allows viewers to engage with his art on a more personal level, interpreting it in ways that resonate with their own experiences and emotions.
For example, Cargo (2023) is a series of abstract animations where pixels move continuously, creating different patterns that blend both large and small-scale compositions. This dynamic artwork combines varying rhythms and synchronicity, taking viewers on a visual journey marked by shifts in focus and overall harmony. Using WebGL and GLSL, it employs an innovative flip-flop render buffer technique to enhance its depth. This series builds on earlier works like Monogrid (2021) and Sabotage (2022), furthering Asendorf's exploration of pixel patterns.
When asked about the possible nostalgia in his pixel-focused works, Asendorf says: “There are very interesting aesthetic spaces that have been vacated through the progression of digital screens and computer graphics. Pixels have become invisible. My work explores these niches, and that may be its nostalgia – the desire to play with these unexplored potentials in very abstract pixel compositions.”
A key aspect of Asendorf’s work is the simplicity of the code behind it. "I search for elementary characters that I can use to visualize much more complex concepts. In my opinion there is great elegance in a few lines of code that can express something profound," he explains. One of his latest projects builds on this minimalist approach, starting from the concept of double X. "I always begin with a concept that is very small,” says Asendorf. “My way of working is deliberately experimental, in order to find things beyond my initial thoughts. I constantly adjust the original concept until there is something interesting happening, guided by the outcomes generated by the code that lead to unexpected yet fascinating results.”
While experimenting on the series called X0X, a breakthrough occurred when Asendorf stumbled upon a specific setting of parameters that created a distinctive twirl-like effect: "That was what I was looking for – the surprise element. In my artistic process I consistently continue the creative exploration until I know I found something that will grab the attention of the viewer, something that gets you out of your normal ‘doing’."
X0X is a generative algorithm consisting of 1,000 on-chain, real-time animations. Through this collection, Asendorf advanced his exploration of pixel-sorting algorithms using elementary forms. Nodding to the iconic X0X sequencers and drum machines of the '80s, this particular series features circular, chaotic pixel movements. The colors follow the same sequence to generate the compositions, beginning with a basic shape - like X - from which pixels emerge to create interesting, dissonant patterns that contrast with the underlying form's formal simplicity.
In the animations of X0X, Asendorf has six different algorithms generating the colors, creating a stream rather than just a set palette. For the artist it is about both using and showing the vibrancy and raw aesthetics of computers, instead of incorporating predefined color palettes. The actual animation of the pieces happens through the graphics card, on which the GLSL code is directly executed based on a feedback system.
The X0X title is inspired by Asendorf's long standing interest in electronic music. It references a series of synthesizers that shaped electronic music in the early 1980s, enabling artists like Giovanni Giorgio Moroder to create new sounds that have significantly impacted cultural history. For the X0X collection, Asendorf therefore added an extra layer of complexity by incorporating four noise algorithms – Classic, Simplex, Fractional, and Periodic. Each piece uses two of these algorithms, which are randomly selected, creating varied behaviours and movement patterns of the colored pixels.
The entire X0X collection is hosted on a smart contract written by Asendorf himself. The code is small enough to fit into the contract and can be pulled out directly. This ensures no third party is involved and the code can always run. For Asendorf this is about elegance again, found in both the concise code and overall craftsmanship of creating, deploying, and maintaining it. Having full control shows Asendorf’s commitment to creating his work in its entirety, without compromise, to reveal a personal narrative, “expressing what words cannot convey.”
Like Asendorf’s other work, the X0X collection is rooted in the possibilities of the net art scene, exploring the internet as both outlet and gallery. The internet has always been ‘hyper modern’ for him. “I can create an artwork and put it online the same moment I create it," he says, reflecting on the immediacy and accessibility of digital art. Commissioned by XX DAO (formerly Bright Opportunities DAO) - in collaboration with Tribute Labs - the outputs of the X0X collection are used as visual identity on the DAO’s website.
Seeking to forge his own path through continuous coding and testing, Asendorf’s pursuit of novelty drives his experimental approach. He is unconcerned with conventional art world rules, and sees his way of working not just as an attitude but says: “It is the energy that drives me to create.” This practice matches with what XX DAO sets out to do: to empower artists who embody the avant-garde of digital art, encouraging the spirit of experimentation and the ethos of decentralization.
Whether Asendorf makes an abstract animation, a digital sculpture, or an interactive installation, it embodies his belief in the capacity of digital art to offer new, meaningful experiences. By integrating his thorough understanding of algorithms with his artistic vision, Asendorf creates works that are both technical and expressive. Through this distinctive blend of experimental and conceptual work, Asendorf continues to search for places ‘beyond’, creating pieces that aim to invite personal interpretation and connection.
