The Persistence of Chaos
| Company type | Art piece |
|---|---|
| Industry | Contemporary art, Digital art |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Founder | Guo O Dong, MSCHF |
| Products | Laptop infected with six significant computer viruses and malware |
The Persistence of Chaos is an art piece comprising a laptop embedded with six significant computer viruses, worms, and malicious software known for causing extensive harm. Created in 2019 by artist Guo O Dong alongside the collective MSCHF, it was auctioned for $1,345,000 in May of the same year. Guo O Dong characterized it as a bestiary documenting historic malware and expressed unease about the high sale price, stating he might either reinvest the funds into another project or destroy the money.
Background
Template:Quote box The artwork The Persistence of Chaos was developed in 2019 by Guo O Dong[1] together with MSCHF[2] following a commission from Deep Instinct, a company specializing in computer security.[1] The production cost exceeded $10,000, largely allocated to implementing robust firewall measures to prevent the malware from escaping and infecting external systems.[3]
Initially, Guo O Dong considered naming the piece Antivaxxer as a nod to vaccine hesitancy, but he later changed the title as the concept evolved during creation.[3] In an interview with The Verge, he described the work as a tangible representation of digital dangers that might otherwise feel intangible, referring to it as "a sort of bestiary — cataloging threats from history." [1]
Description
The foundation of The Persistence of Chaos is a Samsung NC10, a netbook model initially launched in 2008. This laptop, running Windows XP, was purposefully infected with a collection of viruses, worms, and malware that have collectively inflicted $95 billion in economic losses. Among these are the ILOVEYOU virus, Mydoom worm, Sobig worm, WannaCry ransomware, as well as the DarkTequila and BlackEnergy malware. To ensure safety, the device was disconnected from any networks by being airgapped, preventing any potential exploitation of its malicious contents.
The piece itself measures 10.3” × 1.2” × 7.3” and weighs approximately 2.8 pounds. Alongside the infected laptop, the artwork includes its original power cord and a script designed to reboot the system.
Auction
The Persistence of Chaos was offered as an art piece through an online auction. Throughout the bidding process, a live broadcast of the laptop was streamed on Twitch. The auction's website featured a disclaimer emphasizing that distributing malware for reuse is illegal in the United States. Prospective buyers were required to acknowledge that their purchase was solely for artistic or academic purposes, with no intent to spread any malicious software. Furthermore, it was confirmed that all computer ports and internet connectivity would be disabled prior to shipment.
The auction concluded on May 28, 2019, with an anonymous bidder winning at $1,345,000. The funds were received by Guo O Dong, who disclosed to Artnet News his plans to either reinvest the money into new artistic projects or destroy it entirely. He expressed surprise at the public’s fascination with the piece, describing it as akin to an exhibit of historic weaponry and pondering the motivations behind such a significant purchase.
Reception
Gary Cox, an executive at Infoblox, shared with Verdict that The Persistence of Chaos frequently challenges his perceptions of what defines art, likening it to Banksy's piece Love is in the Bin. He also pointed out that the laptop used in the creation of this artwork had an approximate market value of $50. Jake Moore, a cybersecurity expert from ESET, described the piece as embodying "contemporary history through digital code". Meanwhile, Faye Mitchell, deputy director at Coventry University's School of Computing, Electronics and Mathematics, voiced concerns that the artwork might misrepresent and oversimplify the field of cybersecurity and its objectives.