The artist
- No galleries. No intermediaries.
- $74,211 in personal capital funds the installation.
- Unlimited supply.
- The business model is the artwork.
01
Installation
02
Overview
Self Checkout installs retail hardware inside Art Basel. Three kiosks handle in-person transactions while a transparent Online Orders kiosk prints remote purchases in real time. Card, contactless, and browser-based payments live on the same rails. Thermal printers map each dollar to receipt length and stamp a seed phrase that unlocks a non-transferable NFT. Remote buyers pay shipping and receive their receipt in the mail. A split-flap display starts at -$74,211 and broadcasts every movement. The booth is live accounting presented as installation.
03
Process
From kiosk to ledger
- Select amount. Add optional tip.
- Payment clears. Split-flap advances.
- Receipt prints. Inch count locked to spend.
- Seed phrase transfers ownership of immutable record.
04
Framework
The collector
- Sets the price. Scoreboard and receipt length are visible.
- Balances aesthetics, ethics, and signaling.
- Holds paper proof and a seed phrase.
- Creates a visible hierarchy from identical editions.
The market
- Retail hardware in a high-status venue.
- Online orders feed the same display.
- Soulbound NFTs prevent trading. Printed phrases enable physical resale.
- The display is a ticker, thermometer, and scoreboard.
05
Why Receipts
Receipts are the object. Galleries hide transaction records. Thermal paper is fragile, temporary, and low-status.
Length is evidence. A five-inch slip and a ten-foot ribbon signal different choices. The material records the decision.
Thermal paper fades. The NFT is immutable. Printing seed phrases on perishables reintroduces custody risk. Trust becomes physical again.
06
The $74,211
The number is unrounded because it is the actual cost: booth fee, fabrication, display, printers, freight, labor, travel. Every component is itemized and broadcast.
Most art hides its economics. Self Checkout leads with the ledger. The stake is visible before payment.
Specificity signals precision and exposure. Seventy-four thousand, two hundred eleven dollars sit on the line without cushioning. The exact number is the vulnerability.
07
The Tip Function
The tip function uses service-economy mechanics inside an art fair. The kiosk suggests 15%, 18%, and 20% on each purchase and allows for custom amounts.
08
PNL Auction
A parallel no-reserve auction lists the split-flap display (and its final PNL) as a single lot. Collectors can bid in person, and online. Every bid posts to the display, adjusts the balance in real time, and prints its own “PNL BID” receipt. Bidders compete to own the physical scoreboard, the final ledger document, and the signed artist statement.
Mechanics
- Auction runs for the length of the fair. 10% bid increments.
- New bids instantly adjust the balance.
- Every bid prints a “PNL BID” receipt with length tied to the amount.
Outcome
- Highest bidder receives the split-flap display, a signed PNL document, plus their receipt.
09
Outcomes
Loss
Negative balance documents market failure in real time. The final number plus receipt distribution becomes expensive evidence that transparency wasn't rewarded.
Break-even
Hitting $0 means the audience collectively valued the experiment exactly at cost. Perfect crowdsourced appraisal and proof of shared responsibility.
Profit
Going positive proves alternative pricing can outperform tradition. Basel witnesses a transparent, abundance-based system thriving inside its walls. No back rooms, no gatekeepers, no scarcity theater.
Summary
Transparently displaying PNL and issuing payment-linked receipts exposes valuation pressure, social influence, and economic engagement inside the art market—no folklore, only evidence.
10
Installation Requirements
HARDWARE
- Four custom kiosks (3 × Self Checkout, 1 × Online Orders (Transparent))
- 5m × 3m booth footprint, power + internet drops
- Variable-length thermal printers with custom stock
- Split-flap kinetic numerical display with data feed
SOFTWARE
- PCI-compliant payments + email capture tied to NFT delivery
- Online ordering platform accessible via QR / URL
- Soulbound NFT smart contracts with automated minting
- On-site artist & technician for monitoring across December 3-7
COST BREAKDOWN
- Art Basel Zero 10 Booth Fee
- Custom kiosk fabrication (powder-coated steel, 3 units)
- Split-flap display hardware (custom frame, motors, flaps)
- Industrial thermal printers (3 units + spare)
- Thermal paper stock (bulk rolls)
- Checkout Tablets (iPad Pro 11-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB 4 units)
- On-site electrical installation and power drops
- Dedicated internet line / high-speed cellular backup
- Freight shipping (kiosks, display, tools) to Miami
- Installation labor (contractors, riggers)
- Travel and accommodation (artist + technical team)
- Payment processing hardware and integration fees
11
Contributors
- Jalil Wahdatehagh
Software · Hardware - Joseph Paul
Hardware - Zach Jenkins
Fabrication - Eli Scheinman
Curation - Benny Redbeard
Curation - Fabrizio Santamato
Logistics - Celia Butcher
Life Support
12
Receipt Simulator
LIVE PNL DISPLAYSTARTS AT -$74,221
-$74,221
Every purchase or tip instantly reduces the loss and prints a receipt whose length is locked to the payment.
PROJECTED LENGTH
9.00 in
PNL
-$74,221
VV
SELF CHECKOUT
- ART0.00
TIP.0.00
TOTAL0.00
PNL-$74,221.00
THANK YOU!RECEIPTS.VV.XYZ