Symphony for n Metronomes is a code-based decentralized performance created by Andreas Rau, conceived as a generative system where code, blockchain, interface, and synchronized time articulate an evolving field of presence.
Inspired by the temporal explorations of Ligeti’s Poème Symphonique (1962) and Ichiyanagi’s Music for Electric Metronome (1960), the project repositions the concept of the metronome as an active agent within a distributed generative architecture.
The generative structure of the work positions the act of minting as an active and necessary gesture for the ongoing evolution of the digital artwork. 
Each minted iteration introduces a new metronome into the system, expanding its rhythmic and visual field in real time. 
Collectors engage directly with the evolving architecture of the work. Their action contributes permanently to the system’s temporal structure, sustaining the continuous articulation of the performance. 
Symphony for n Metronomes operates as a living system. It fully unfolds when multiple iterations are presented in spatial configurations that extend the digital field into a shared experience.
The work’s architecture extends into a parallel live performance presented on the dedicated project site met.andreasrau.eu, where every mint is reflected in real time. 
Collectors’ contributions are made visible within the evolving system through a structured topology of participation. 
Three levels, Metronome, Ensemble, and Orchestra, articulate the presence of each collector within the performance. They shape a dynamic public field that unfolds alongside the minted editions. 
This live interface functions as an integral layer of Symphony for n Metronomes, continuously synchronizing on-chain actions with the project’s temporal and spatial articulation.
Structural impact by mint quantity
Metronome (1+ mints) 
Each minted iteration becomes an active element within the evolving rhythmic field.
Ensemble (2+ mints) 
The collector’s name is permanently inscribed into the live interface, contributing to the public presence of the performance.
Orchestra (10+ mints) 
The collector’s metronomes become eligible to occasionally perform solo. 
Within the generative dynamics of the system, a metronome structure associated with the collector’s address may emerge temporarily in the foreground, assuming a state of exception within the visual grid.
With each collected metronome, participation becomes architecture. 
The system remembers the gesture and continuously integrates it into the unfolding rhythm.
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