This artwork presents an allegorical critique of late digital capitalism through the emancipatory discourse surrounding blockchain, NFTs, and digital governance. Beneath claims of decentralization and autonomy, these technologies configure a new imperial order: one that governs without a center, rules without a visible sovereign, and exercises power through protocols rather than commands. Rendered in a Renaissance aesthetic, the work draws a parallel with historical moments of apparent rupture that ultimately consolidate new regimes of domination. At its center, a crowned whale — symbol of extreme capital concentration in crypto ecosystems — sits enthroned, manipulating marionettes that mediate human action. Power here is not imposed directly but internalized, operating through algorithms, markets, and incentives that transform participation into obedience. Elsewhere, scenes of worship portray NFT figures as saints, while devotion ascends toward money itself.
