Hardware was presented in a release thread on 1 January 2025. Generated images borrow the appearance of frames, labels and signatures, turning familiar signs of physical authenticity into constructions whose authority can be questioned.
The earlier work, 1988
In the release thread, Butcher describes 1988 as a 3D model that could be projected into physical surroundings through augmented reality. Hardware moves attention to the apparently supporting materials around an object: its frame, labels and marks of authorship.
The release and its correction
The thread announced that 1988 editions could be exchanged for Hardware on Ethereum mainnet. It first gave a maximum supply of 554, then explicitly corrected that number to 544 later the same day. The corrected number is used here.
This is a dated account of the release, not current redemption guidance. A token’s record and the fictional paperwork pictured in the artwork provide different kinds of evidence.
Generating and choosing
On 2 January, Butcher described refining prompts with Flux 1.1 Pro Ultra through Krea, then producing batches through the Flux API. He reported choosing 544 images from approximately 10,000 outputs. Those are the artist’s process estimates.
Selection is central: a system produces variations, while the artist decides which versions belong to the collection. The apparently handwritten marks and institutional-looking labels are part of the generated image, not certificates supplied by the institutions they might suggest.
Evidence and appearance
A label, frame or date can suggest authority without establishing an object’s history. Hardware makes that gap visible. This reading concerns the work’s premise; it does not imply that all provenance research is futile.
Development
Sources and further reading
Artist statements describe intention. Reporting and interviews record different perspectives; exhibition announcements establish specific presentations. How sources are classified.
Artist / studio · Selected posts from the downloaded account archive
Hardware: release, correction and image-making
10 selected posts, through 2025-01-02. The launch thread corrects the maximum supply from 554 to 544 and describes the image-generation and selection process. Original wording and links are preserved; headings and notes are editorial. This is artist testimony, not independent verification.