what's Ex Nihilo?

Ex Nihilo is a generative art NFT project by artist Casey Reas, released on the Art Blocks platform. It builds on Reas's exploration of Platonic Solids, focusing on the dodecahedron—the fifth and final Platonic Solid, known for its perfect symmetry and historical association with the cosmos. The project generates unique digital artworks through algorithmic code, where each piece emerges from a shared system customized by collector inputs during minting. Hosted on Ethereum via Art Blocks, Ex Nihilo exemplifies on-chain generative art, where the artwork's code is inscribed immutably on the blockchain. Collectors interact with Reas's scripts to produce one-of-a-kind visuals, emphasizing process, emergence, and mathematical beauty. Developed in partnership with Feral File, it marks Reas's return to Art Blocks after a hiatus, continuing his legacy as a pioneer in computational art through projects like Processing.