Aksioma, ISBN 978-9617173178, English, 120 pages, 2022, Slovenia

In the tradition of small books, the editors of Aksioma have brought out this precious little anthology of texts that explore the conceptual relationship between the commons and the NFT (Non-Fungible Token), which they present as a possibility for radical applications. While NFTs have been almost entirely rejected by collectors as a much discussed and speculated format, its infrastructure is conceived to change the nature of the digital from being infinitely shareable and replicable (supposedly signifying abundance) to acknowledge ‘originals’ (supposedly signifying scarcity). This tension is explored in an interesting way from different angles. After a compelling and contextualising introduction by editor Felix Stalder, curator Yukiko Shikata introduces original Japanese NFT projects, Denis ‘Jaromil’ Roio reports on his approach to using crypto to develop the commons and the political potential of blockchain-enabled decentralisation, while artist Cornelia Sollfrank describes her insightful experience of being actively involved in the first public exhibition that connected early net art with NFTs. Originally published on the Makery website, the seven essays challenge a popular, still-motivated polarisation and offer material for reflection, with strategies that can be challenged, reshaped or even recombined in the near future.