Björn Franke

Sites of Deterrence
Interactive Mixed Media Installation, NFTs
2024–ongoing

Sites of Deterrence is an interactive artwork that explores the architecture of strategic escalation. Utilizing blockchain infrastructure, the work transforms addresses into fictional sites that can be mined, developed, and reinforced through participant decisions.

The system unfolds through a cryptic, text-based interface reminiscent of early computing. Participants engage by acquiring access tokens and navigating a growing hierarchy of infrastructural components. Actions are irreversible and range from resource processing to signal testing and system surveillance. The logic is recursive, the pace slow, and the outcomes uncertain: a fragile balance, a prolonged standoff, or total collapse.

Minimal in form and austere in tone, Sites of Deterrence reflects on control, opacity, and the endurance of systems engineered to remain operational even in the face of failure. It offers no clear objective—only the persistent tension of decisions made in code.