Q: In your 404 announcement tweet, you referenced a post from 2016. Was that the main reference for coming up with this concept? What does that tweet from 2016 mean to you?

PAK: The concept of Absence and Presence has always intrigued me. The theme of 'presence through absence' was something that frequently surfaced, especially in light of the recent events surrounding Alotta Money. So, I could say one of my inspirations was the representation or acknowledgment of absence. That tweet from 2016 encapsulates the duality of these concepts and serves as a reminder of the continuous exploration of these themes throughout my journey.

Q: What was the most challenging aspect of developing this project?

PAK: Solidifying the concept was undeniably the most challenging aspect. From the outset, my aim was to emphasize absence. Initially, I approached this piece as an NFT that would autonomously change itself at specific dates. As the concept evolved, it began from a simple idea and progressed into a more complex structure, integrating contract-level mechanisms that offered different visuals daily. Yet, eventually, I realized that perhaps the real challenge was to represent absence with another form of absence. It felt right.

Q: Is there potential for this NFT to evolve at some point? While it is absent of metadata now, could metadata potentially be present in the future?

PAK: Technically, the metadata contract, which currently returns the string "In memory of the absent," can always be altered. Whether this technical possibility translates into a conceptual need in the future remains to be seen.

Q: What do you think a collector should do with this, once they own it?

PAK: Ownership is an intriguing concept. What does one truly own when they possess something? What does ownership even mean?

Q: What is the impact that you want this project to have on the NFT community? How do you want it to be perceived?

PAK: In this medium, I've consistently championed the notion that the token is not the image it holds. Long-time followers of my body of work will already recognize this approach. For others, I hope this serves as an 'aha moment' to see beyond the conventional understanding of digital tokens.

Q: Do you think there are technical components of this project that would be interesting to apply more generally?

PAK: All contracts, including this one, are quite primitive. It's less about the technical and more about the conceptual for me. I believe there's a need for more unconventional ideas. Most are content to simply draw on the paper provided to them. Yet, so much more can be done with that same paper. We need to bend the medium to our will.