Matthias Moos

Matthias Moos was born in 1981 in Zug, Switzerland. After training as a primary school teacher, he studied media arts and computational arts at the Zurich University of the Arts and Goldsmiths College in London. Currently, Moos lives in his home canton Zug again and works as an artist.

Moos’ approach is deeply rooted in a world where the word ‘digitalisation’ seems to be a term from the past. In his works, he combines generative processes and digital means such as DIY software and electronics with everyday materials such as water, concrete, glass, with a precision and, at the same time, a matter of course, as if humanity had never done anything differently before.

Web: https://www.matthiasmoos.com

Title of works: Come To Crypto Valley

In “Come To Crypto Valley” Moos plays with the phenomenon of cryptocurrencies, which has steadily grown in his filter bubble over the last two years: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero, etc. have moved rapidly from experimental tools of crypto-anarchism to professionally operated gonzo capitalism. Moos himself works in a city that calls itself “Crypto Valley” and thus tries to transform itself from a dusty tax haven into a fashionable blockchain capital.

In the four Teletext works, Moos plays with the gold-rush atmosphere in his own city, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), promises of money from dubious online mining companies, and his own need for pizzas: the first Bitcoin transaction consisted of 10,000 Bitcoins which changed hands for two pizzas. While at the time, this was still rather of ideal value, today the amount is worth more than 104 million euros (as of July 2019). Using the QR code on the television screen, you can send the artist 10,000 Bitcoins – if you have them. That should be enough for a few pizzas and then some.