Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are unique virtual tokens which are stored on a blockchain and can be linked to a wide range of digital and physical assets. In the online art world, NFTs are meant to function as digital certificates of authenticity and ownership, facilitating provenance research and introducing the notion of scarcity to the digital realm. However, the long-term sustainability of NFTs is threatened by their association to art theft, scams, and negative environmental impact. This qualitative study investigates the effects that non-fungible tokens have had on the work of online visual artists. With the goal of presenting multiple perspectives on a complex phenomenon, semi-structured interviews were conducted both with artists who personally create NFTs of their artwork and with artists whose art was tokenized by others without their permission. The results of the study reveal that NFTs appear as a possible path towards financial freedom for artists and a democratization of the arts. At the same time, a reoccurring point of concern is that online social media platforms and NFT marketplaces largely fail to protect artists against NFT-related art theft. Based on the answers collected from the interviews, this study presents several potential measures that could help combat plagiarism and scamming. Finally, the issue of widespread ignorance and misinformation is discussed, highlighting the need for more reliable, unbiased resources on the topic of NFTs.

Le projet artistique Poésie de l’ADN prend source dans une démarche interdisciplinaire, en associant la programmation, la biotechnologie, la création sonore et visuelle, l’ésotérisme ainsi que l’art participatif et performatif. Ce mémoire passe en revue les différentes étapes de réflexion et création autour de ce projet, tout d’abord en le replaçant dans son contexte historique et artistique, à la fois au niveau du courant bioart, puis plus précisément dans l’utilisation de l’acide désoxyribonucléique1 (ADN) en arts. Nous verrons comment s’inscrit Poésie de l’ADN aux côtés des oeuvres d’art génétiques visuelles et sonores, ainsi que de portraiture, tout en présentant les influences artistiques et esthétiques qui inspirent mon travail. Ensuite, ce mémoire aborde trois questionnements qui sont au coeur du développement conceptuel de ce projet : 1) les tensions entre l’aléatoire et la subjectivité, c’est-à-dire la constante négociation entre le contrôle de l’artiste et l’autonomie de la machine; 2) l’interprétation des données afin d’établir la signification que l’on reçoit et apporte à la matière; 3) ainsi que les considérations bioéthiques que soulève ce projet. Puis, le mémoire détaille le processus technique et les outils utilisés, ainsi que le processus créatif au sein duquel l’approche ésotérique est fondamentale. Enfin, nous verrons l’impact des critères ADN sur les oeuvres, ainsi que les portraits qui en découlent. Poésie de l’ADN est un projet artistique qui réunit à la fois le développement d’une application dont l’algorithme et les paramétrages permettent de générer des matières audio-visuelles à partir de données ADN, ainsi que la composition de portraits, à travers l’interprétation artistique, ésotérique et humaine de cette matière, pour créer des vidéomusiques individuelles. / DNA Poetry is an artistic project rooted in an interdisciplinary approach, combining programming, biotechnology, sound and visual creation, esotericism as well as participatory and performative art. This thesis reviews the different stages of reflection and creation around this project, first of all by placing it in its historical and artistic context, first off within the bioart artistic movement, then more precisely within the use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the arts. We'll see how DNA Poetry fits alongside visual and audio genetic artworks, as well as portraiture, while showcasing the artistic and aesthetic influences that inspire my work. Then, this thesis addresses three questions which are at the heart of the conceptual development of this project: 1) the tensions between algorithm and subjectivity, that is to say the constant negotiation between the artist's control and autonomy of the machine; 2) data interpretation, in order to establish meaning in what is received and brought to the material; 3) and finally the bioethical considerations raised by this project. Then, the thesis details the technical process and the tools used, as well as the creative process in which the esoteric approach is fundamental. Finally, we will see the impact of DNA data on the audio and visual outcome, as well as the portraits that result from them. DNA Poetry is an artistic project that brings together both the development of an application whose algorithm and mappings make it possible to generate audiovisual material from DNA data, as well as the composition of portraits, through the human, esoteric and artistic interpretation of this material, in order to create individual videomusic art pieces.