44: Figure31—Discussing and Demonstrating DEL with Peter Bauman

In this special video episode, host Peter Bauman (Le Random's editor in chief) speaks with artist Loucas Braconnier (Figure31). They discuss DEL, a two-year project that began life as a terminal-based C application with a "Grim Reaper" persona before becoming a browser-native work. It consists of globular "bodies for the Ethereum network" rendered in real time as ASCII art. They go over Braconnier's path into blockchain art and his attraction to work that evolves over time, the discipline of building for longevity, and a wider conversation about how AI and new tools shift the artist's focus from technical skill toward conceptual intent. In the second half, Braconnier gives a live demo of the work and a visual walk-through, showing how its entities express network data through behaviors like twirling, meditating, or trying to escape the viewport.Monday's Editorial: Jakob Kudsk Steensen on Non-Human Pathways Chapters 📖00:00 — Introduction: meet Loucas Braconnier (Figure31) and the work01:02 — Finding blockchain: the spark that drew him to Ethereum03:02 — Why blockchain: what it brings to art that evolves over time05:30 — Sculpture Garden & "Traveler": protocol art and the contract's inner space09:38 — How DEL relates: dialogue with and departure from his earlier work15:19 — On-chain & longevity: immutability, repairability, committing to the future18:22 — Two years of work: from a terminal "Grim Reaper" agent to the browser22:07 — Bodies for Ethereum: liveliness, behaviors, giving voice to the network25:53 — Live demo: walking through the main collection28:58 — Reading behavior: behavior modes and the 3D object behind the ASCII30:41 — Browser as space: native viewing, reproduction, and the original34:35 — The data readouts: exposing configuration, logs, and block hashes40:10 — Owner tuning: editing parameters and giving away control44:57 — Custom sites: bespoke builds over marketplace platforms51:00 — AI and making: technical skill versus conceptual intent56:02 — Closing: final reflections and what comes next