Generative art takes a mystical turn as artist cari ann shim sham* unveils her latest project, wobimo: a magical sigil generator for what is needed most, at the Art on Tezos: Berlin event. Curated by renowned digital art curator Anika Meier, wobimo is featured as part of the NEW SESSION | Browser Views: Exhibitions in an Internet Cafe, a novel event exploring the intersection of digital art and the internet.
wobimo dropped on the Bootloader platform, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of on-chain generative art. This project, two years in the making, draws on sacred geometry, ancient magical symbols, circling, sound, and interactive play, inviting viewers into an “on-chain ecstasy of healing.”
At its core, wobimo is rooted in the tradition of sigils—ancient symbols used in magical practices as pictorial signatures of spirits, deities, or intentions. Sigils, historically documented in grimoires and magical texts, are crafted by distilling a desire into letters and merging them into intricate abstract designs. Activation of these symbols through meditation, ritual, or visibility charges them with personal energy, focusing intention and manifesting goals—a process often associated with chaos magic.
shim sham’s generative system curates sigils as a unique forecasting tool, offering collectors visual outputs that reveal what is needed most in their lives. The digital archive honors a global legacy, featuring elements from Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Bamum script, Cuneiform, Nordic and Celtic traditions, alchemical symbols, Indigenous sigils from the Americas, and contemporary emoji.
Through the process of extensive research, the artist has discovered how online translation often flattens and simplifies these symbols, erasing layers of historical meaning and mystery and offers the collector a private reading of each individual mint.
Wobimo offers an interactive experience: each user’s energy field is “cast” to generate a personalized visual sigil, accompanied by sound and mouse-driven interactivity. These outputs serve both as instruments for meditation and as tools for reflection and healing.
Developed from a genuary 2024 wobble prompt in p5.js, wobimo incorporates 131 distinct sigils, 73 color palettes, interactivity and an engaging soundscape.
wobimo is an invitation to discover the ancient and the new—where art, magic, and technology converge, and the symbols we need most are revealed and recharged for a digital age.