meeems are code-based pop artworks that stylistically reimagine ubiquitous meme formats as interactive on-chain svgs. click & hold. double click. edit the captions. play. share. enjoy.
meeems are currently exclusive to bitcoin, inscribed forever to the blockchain as ordinals.
Ordinals are "inscriptions"; extra data associated with a single satoshi, the smallest denomination of Bitcoin. This data can be text, images or other media. ownership of the sat is understood to represent ownership of the associated data. Basically, NFTs for Bitcoin.
ordinals are a new development for bitcoin, so the experience around buying and trading is not yet very user-friendly. nonetheless, my work must continue.
SVG stands for scalable vector graphics. SVG is a file type that straddles the line between HTML files and traditional bitmap image files like JPEGs and PNGs. If you open up an SVG file you'll find that it is written in structured code that looks a lot like html filled with lots of numbers (vector data). Because the image information is defined in math, SVGs can be scaled infinitely without sacrificing image quality, and can also incorporate other languages supported by whatever application is rendering the SVG.
technically, meeems are code-art mico-apps that use svg, css and javascript to dynamically manage their own presentation based on context, play multiple animations, and allow editing of captions and other features. In a sense, meeems are simultaneously pretty pop art, on-chain toys, hyper-minimal meme editors, and semi-dank actual-memes all in one.
to interact with meeems, use your mouse to click+hold. Double-click to activate the meeem and make the captions editable. Meeems also have keyboard shortcuts; [spacebar] hold-to-interact, [e] to toggle activation, or [SHIFT] for hold-to-activate.
Meeems are SVG files. They can be embedded on the web in iframes, html embed elements, and objects, but they can also be embedded as image elements which are static. when a meeem is embedded as a static image element its interaction code does not run, so you can't interact with it. ensure that the meeem you are trying to interact with is embedded properly. If it still doesn't work, it might just be a regular image file and you're getting pranked.
meeems are an ongoing series limited primarily by my overwhelming, albeit still-limited, mortal mind... And the cost of blockspace. I may make any number of templates and any number of variants of each template, but currently I plan to make roughly 9 different templates, WITH A DOZEN OR SO variants each.
Memes are the native language of the web. They're how netizens express themselves, relate, and process cultural ideas. What better form for a pop artwork that aims to project and deepen the conversation within and without the crypto-savvy art community?
when I think about the meeems project, I think about language and the syntax of imagination. I think about re-examining modes of interaction on an unsurprising internet where our expectations are unceremoniously set and met. i celebrate what the internet meme format has accomplished in its time. i ruminate on neologistic word-bangs like "svg screenprints", "data grafitti", "static primitive", "on-chain toy", or "resource-backed art". i reflect on the meta-cognitive voice belonging to no one that speaks through the memes that wash over us. it's the times we live in. this is the meeeming of our life.
yes. each meeem has been committed to the Bitcoin blockchain for all time as ordinal inscriptions, bitcoin's equivalent of NFTs. meeems can be bought, sold and collected natively on the bitcoin blockchain.
You can browse the latest on meeems.xyz, or follow me on twitter or instagram to get a heads up whenever I mint new meeems. Meeems will be available wherever ordinals are sold.
each meeem is priced based on its unique features, such as its caption, artwork, or function. prices range from 0.05 btc to 1 btc.
Meeems are designed to adapt to many different viewing environments, however when being exhibited, Meeems are meant to be displayed as large as possible in a darkened room with the animation activated. This would be most easily achieved by opening a meeem as a standalone file in a browser window, activating the animation (with the 'e' key) and fullscreening the window (with the 'F11' key).
Meeems can easily be embedded using the embed code found in the action menu on its respective meeem.xyz page. Meeems can also be embedded in HTML as iframes and embed elements, or even pasted in-line on a page as raw svg code.
Generally, embedding meeems as img tags is discouraged, as the interaction code will not run. That said, meeems have been designed to degrade gracefully with fallbacks for various potential display contexts.
Meeems are just the first hint of a sprawling repository of unreleased art and conceptual primitives that will come from Dreeem in the months and years to come. Stay tuned.
Dreeem is a mysterious multidisciplinary artist known online for their symbolic digital pop art, and known irl for their street art and installations. their work explores symbolism, imagination, dreams and the collective unconscious.
