transient Labsthe Web3-based creative studio known for its innovation and extensive collaborations has recently developed and released a new type of NFT contract, in collaboration with artist Patrick Amazonthat changes the game for makers and collectors alike.
At first glance and through its most basic explanation, the Doppelganger contract may come across as simple, allowing artists to add multiple images to an NFT and, in turn, giving collectors the ability to browse through them.
Why it matters?
First, let’s look at what inspired the contract to begin with. Speaking to nft now, Amadon shared that he was “reflecting on the long-term sustainability of NFTs as one of the main concerns of traditional art collectors”, particularly the risk of centralized hosting services, and had the idea of contracting close that provides a list or array of pointers (images) that can be selected and eventually reflected in the metadata.
“I’m friends with the team at Transient so I got in touch one day and asked how hard it would be to create a token pointing to an array and we knocked it out in about a month and now we have the concept and contract for array-based NFTs,” he shared.
In the accompanying white paper, Amadon has already outlined several use cases, ranging from an Artist Subscription model in which an artist can continuously update an existing NFT with new artwork for loyal collectors, to the concept of a Multi-Work NFT, enabling enhanced storytelling and the development of a story or series.
It’s worth noting that once an image has been added to the list, it cannot be undone, meaning that collectors never run the risk of an artist withdrawing an image or work from the contract.
Continuing the conversation with nft now, Amadon shared that this could potentially be something of a double-edged sword, explaining, “On the one hand, we have frozen metadata with NFTs. The advantage is immutability, but the downside is immutability if something breaks,” he added: “We designed the contract so that you can always add to the sequence, but never subtract.” Amadon further explained that the owner of the NFT has exclusive rights to the selection of the displayed image, something he says provides the protection of frozen metadata.
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Another notable use case is Aspect Ratio solutions, which were first used by artists 0xdgb in collaboration with Transient Labs to show how useful the contract can be for creators and collectors alike.
Objectively, this is potentially the most relevant and ready use case and something that was much needed in the space. If you’ve ever been to an IRL event, chances are you’ve seen the work of a popular Web3-based artist gruesomely cropped and displayed on a monitor – Doppelgänger solves that.
Now speaking to nft, 0xdgb said “I think [the contract] simply adds to the possibilities of digital art and adds a level of personalization, allowing collectors to add their own touch or finish.
The aspect ratio solution allows an artist to provide a range of common display ratios for collectors to choose from. So whether you’re an institution wanting to display a work on your Danvas or a collector at home wanting to display a piece on your TokenFrame, now you can do it right, easily and in a way that honors the work.
For a full technical overview and a step-by-step guide to using the enabled works contract, see Amadon and TransientLabs whitepaper here. As for artists eager to take advantage of the contract, Transient Labs has said it has plans for a wide release soon through its codeless creator toolkit, The Lab.