Art and Proof of Existence
— The Self Inscribed in Works

This essay is an academic consideration and does not advocate any particular view of art.

1. The First Art, The First Proof of Existence

What is humanity's oldest artwork? It was cave paintings.

The Handprints of Lascaux

The Lascaux caves in France contain paintings from approximately 20,000 years ago. Alongside animal images, handprints are pressed onto the walls. Negative hand stencils made by placing pigment in the mouth and spraying it over the hand. "I was here"—the most direct proof of existence from an era without written language.

Why Did They Paint?

An act unnecessary for survival. Neither food nor tool. Yet humanity spent time on acts unrelated to survival. The impulse to leave something behind. Wasn't that a fundamental desire to prove existence?

The Origin of Art = The Origin of Proof of Existence

There are many theories about the origin of art. Religious ritual, hunting magic, communication. But common to all theories is the act of "leaving traces." Art may be the most primordial form of proof of existence.

2. Works as Alter Egos

Artworks continue to exist as alter egos of their creators.

What Dwells in Works

Something of the creator dwells in great artworks. Something only that person could create, inexplicable by technique alone. Brushstrokes, composition, chosen words—works are filled with traces of their creators.

The Author's Death and the Work's Life

Rembrandt died in 1669. Yet his works still greet visitors in museums today. Van Gogh barely sold any paintings during his lifetime. Yet now his works are loved worldwide. The body disappears, but works live on.

Yearning for Immortality

Many artists speak of yearning for immortality. That their works will remain even after death. This is not mere desire for fame but a fundamental need for proof of existence. To "continue existing" after death through one's works.

"Artists never truly die. As long as their works live, they continue to exist even after their bodies perish."

3. Signatures as Declarations

Signatures on artworks are not mere identifiers.

From Anonymous to Signed

Medieval craftsmen did not sign their works. Works were offerings to God, and inscribing one's name was considered arrogance. In the Renaissance, artists began signing. This was the discovery of the "individual" and a declaration of proof of existence: "I made this."

Signature Styles

Dürer inscribed complex monograms on his works. Picasso's signature became his identity itself. Signatures are part of the work, the artist's stamp of proof of existence.

Choosing Anonymity

On the other hand, artists like Banksy choose anonymity. Yet anonymity is also a form of proof of existence. "I won't reveal my name, but I certainly exist"—anonymity asserts existence in a form different from personal names.

4. Museums as Halls of Proof of Existence

Museums are places that preserve proof of existence through artworks.

Perpetuating Works

Museums preserve works and transmit them to posterity. Proper temperature, humidity, light management. Restoration and conservation. Museums are institutions that perpetuate artists' proof of existence.

The Power of Selection

However, only a fraction of works are collected in museums. Whose works are judged "worth preserving"? Museums hold the power to determine whose proof of existence to preserve.

Democratization

In the digital age, museum authority is being relativized. Instagram, NFTs, online galleries—anyone can present works and assert their existence. Proof of existence without going through museums is now possible.

5. Performance Art and "Here and Now"

Not all art takes permanent form.

Art That Disappears

Performance art, dance, improvised music—these vanish the moment they occur. Even recorded, they differ from the live experience. How does this "disappearing art" relate to proof of existence?

Proof of "Here and Now"

Performance art is proof of "existing here and now." Not a record for the future, but an assertion of present existence. Shared experience with audiences mutually proves each other's existence.

Recording and Essence

Video recordings of performances are not the work itself. Yet those recordings also become proof of existence that "this moment once happened." Even disappearing art continues as proof of existence through memory and recording.

6. Literature — Proof of Existence Through Words

Literature is proof of existence through language.

The Act of Writing

Diaries, letters, novels—writing is inscribing the self in words. Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji, and we read it 1,000 years later. Her proof of existence lives on through words.

Text as Voice

Great literature has the author's "voice." Dazai's self-deprecation, Murakami's dry humor—that voice is a trace of the author's existence. Readers dialogue with dead authors through their writing.

Translation and Transmission

Literature transcends languages through translation. The Tale of Genji is read in English, French, Chinese. Murasaki Shikibu's proof of existence has reached language spheres she never knew.

7. Destruction of Art and Erasure of Existence

Destruction of art is erasure of proof of existence.

Book Burning

Qin Shi Huang, Nazi Germany, the Cultural Revolution—many book burnings have occurred throughout history. Burning books is erasing the proof of existence of those who wrote them. Thought control is also proof-of-existence control.

Iconoclasm

ISIS destroyed Palmyra's ruins. The Taliban blew up the Bamiyan Buddhas. Destruction of artworks is an act of denying the proof of existence of civilizations that created them.

Erasure of Memory

Ancient Rome had a punishment called "damnatio memoriae"—erasure of memory. Destroying statues, chiseling names from inscriptions. The ultimate punishment of erasing the very fact of existence. Destruction of art is denial of existence.

8. Digital Art and New Proof of Existence

Digital technology is changing the relationship between art and proof of existence.

The Age of Infinite Reproduction

Digital works can be infinitely reproduced. There's no distinction between original and copy. Benjamin's vision of "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" has become reality. How does loss of aura affect proof of existence?

The NFT Experiment

NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) attempt to give uniqueness to digital works. Recording "I created this work" on the blockchain. A signature for the digital age, a new form of proof of existence.

AI and Creation

An age when AI paints and writes. Who is the "author"? Can AI art be proof of human existence? Or is it AI's own proof of existence? The relationship between art and proof of existence is being fundamentally questioned.

9. Everyone Is an Artist

Art is not only for those with special talent.

Everyday Art

Cooking, gardening, letter writing—artistic acts exist in daily life. Even if not displayed in museums, these are creations and proofs of existence. A child's scribble, grandmother's knitting—all are traces of existence.

Art Brut

Art by those without formal training—Art Brut (raw art) demonstrates the universality of expressive impulse. The mentally ill, children, self-taught artists—their works are also pure proof of existence.

Beuys's Declaration

Joseph Beuys said "Everyone is an artist." Liberating art from the expert domain, reconceiving it as creative acts by everyone. Everyone can prove existence through art.

10. TokiStorage and Art

Considering TokiStorage's significance in light of the relationship between art and proof of existence.

Perpetuating Works

Quartz glass can be preserved for over 1,000 years. Digital data may disappear, but works engraved in quartz glass remain. A means of technically perpetuating artists' proof of existence.

Beyond Museums

Even without museum collection, individuals can permanently preserve their works. Anyone can leave proof of existence through art without going through authoritative institutional selection.

Recording Creation

Not just the work itself, but the creative process, the artist's thoughts, production records—these can also be engraved in quartz glass. Conveying the human existence behind works more richly.

Conclusion — Art as Proof of Existence

Art may be the purest form of proof of existence.

From those who left handprints in Lascaux caves to today's digital artists, humans have asserted existence through art. "I was here," "I created this"—that impulse has remained unchanged for tens of thousands of years.

Works continue to exist as alter egos of their creators, transcending physical death. Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Murasaki Shikibu—they are still with us through their works. Art is a technique for proof of existence that transcends death.

Yet works too can be destroyed. Fire, book burning, digital obsolescence. Proof of existence through art is not eternal either. That's why efforts to preserve and transmit works are necessary.

TokiStorage is one form of such effort. Works and their records engraved in quartz glass remain even when museums crumble and servers disappear. Delivering artists' proof of existence 1,000 years into the future.

Everyone is an artist. Everyone can prove existence through creation. Leaving that proof of existence across time. That is art's mission, and TokiStorage's mission too.