1. Smart Contracts  

The first station, titled "Smart Contracts," bridges the gap between democratic processes and DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations). To illustrate this, we drew upon a democratic process that occurs privately and is familiar to everyone in some form: managing one's own home. Visitors find themselves in a recreated "living room" setting. Surrounded by plants, cozy cushions, and a sofa, a tablet on a coffee table introduces the concept of smart contracts—code-based agreements stored on the blockchain that execute predefined actions (IF, WHEN, THEN) automatically once conditions are met.

        Visitors are invited to propose the purchase of new furniture for the fictional apartment. A custom-developed AI-powered application simulates a voting process involving five virtual roommates, taking predefined conditions into account. The results of the vote are displayed in a visually engaging way on the living room's television.

2. Vote on the Blockchain  

Building on the knowledge gained in the first station, the focus now shifts to the underlying blockchain technology. It was important to us to create a voting scenario based on a real-life context. This naturally involves complex questions of responsibility and accountability, which led us to the following collaboration with the MAK (Museum of Applied Arts).  Three proposals for the use of the MAK Garden—a semi-public outdoor space shared and managed by three stakeholders—were pre-evaluated for feasibility and presented as options at this interactive station. Visitors, standing on artificial grass to simulate the outdoor setting, are required to pair up with another person to participate in the decision-making process.

        Once paired, participants position themselves at two separate tablets. Together, they select one of the three options and log it in. Player A is then tasked with communicating a randomly generated pattern to Player B. Without being able to see each other’s screens, Player B must recreate the pattern. If the recreated pattern matches the original, the vote is counted! This game serves as a highly abstracted demonstration of how a hash— a unique checksum—functions. For any change to be validated, the hash must be verified across multiple instances (over 50%). As a spatial element, two massive mirrored walls are positioned to reflect the two "blocks" of the "blockchain" into infinity, evoking the sense of an interconnected and vast system.

3. Plenary

With a foundational understanding of DAOs and blockchain now established, visitors are invited to participate in a plenary discussion on the potential applications, benefits, and drawbacks of this technology. A "word wall" serves as a conversation starter, featuring over 6,000 letters arranged to reveal up to 300 words. These words range from those directly related to blockchain to others that may seem unrelated at first glance.

       During workshops or guided tours, the collaborative process of discovering these words is designed to spark meaningful discourse. This section of the space is furnished with the exhibition's sole tangible artifact: freely rearrangeable seating blocks by designer Ettore Sottsass, encouraging both flexibility and creativity in group discussions.

Illustrations

The interactive experience is complemented by thoughtfully designed illustrations and graphics displayed on the walls. These visuals provide an accessible overview of the topics covered, presented in a cascading level of detail. For instance, they explain voting mechanisms and the role of tokens, as well as draw playful connections, like how dominoes relate to blockchain. 

        Additionally, the exhibit introduces existing DAOs and showcases some of their real-world implications, including the humorous results of letting the internet name a boat.[1]

What's the catch?

In the so-called "Room within a Room," where both the ceiling and floor are mirrored, the shifting infinity axis creates an unsettling sensation, as there is no clear bottom or top in sight. Here, critical perspectives and issues surrounding blockchain technology are visually presented. 

        This immersive space not only highlights the limitations and challenges of the technology but also advocates for a resilient and robust democracy.

Strong Democracy  

Now more than ever, it is essential to promote democratic education and empower citizens to thrive in strong and resilient democracies. Together with the MAK, we aimed to make a small contribution by contextualizing DAOs and blockchain as tools for democracy.  

        Our goal was not simply to provide a factual overview but to create a space where visitors can engage in informal discussions, exchange ideas, and linger thoughtfully. We hope we’ve succeeded in this endeavor.  For more information and tickets, please visit mak.at/blockchain.