lacma-2026: reframe as AC Device Library (lending fleet + public waitlist)

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grants/lacma-2026/LACMA-2026-APPLICATION-DRAFT.md

··· 14 14 15 15 ## Three Descriptive Words 16 16 17 - instrument, language, network 17 + instrument, library, network 18 18 19 19 ## One-Sentence Project Description 20 20 21 - Aesthetic Computer is a bare-metal creative computing system (custom hardware, a handmade programming language, and a social network) that reimagines the personal computer as a live musical instrument for art. 21 + Aesthetic Computer is a bare-metal creative computing system and public device library (custom hardware, a handmade programming language, a social network, and a lending fleet of laptops for flashing custom creative OSes) that reimagines the personal computer as a live musical instrument for art. 22 22 23 23 --- 24 24 ··· 26 26 27 27 Personal computers have not been very personal. For forty years the form has been shaped by the companies that sold them: operating systems built to sell attention, software gatekept by app stores. The 1980s personal computing scene promised a computer that belonged to you, that you could program, that could do anything. Platform consolidation cut it short. Aesthetic Computer bets a second personal computing scene is starting, and with tools this powerful in everyone's hands it will go wider *and* deeper than the first. Wider because anyone can publish. Deeper because anyone can write a language, modify a kernel, or put an AI coding partner to work on a single piece. 28 28 29 - Aesthetic Computer has three interlocking layers: a bare-metal operating system that boots directly into art software, a custom programming language (KidLisp) for generative art, and a social network for publishing interactive programs called "pieces." The whole stack is free and open source on GitHub. 29 + Aesthetic Computer has three interlocking layers (a bare-metal operating system, a custom programming language, and a social network) and a public face: **the Library**. The whole stack is free and open source on GitHub. 30 30 31 - The second scene has feedstock. Windows 10 end-of-life has stranded roughly 240 million x86_64 laptops; 62 million tonnes of e-waste pile up each year. Strip away the consumer OS and those machines become a planetary population of half-built instruments waiting for a kernel. 31 + **There has never been a better time to develop new software for old hardware.** Windows 10 end-of-life has stranded roughly 240 million x86_64 laptops; 62 million tonnes of e-waste pile up each year. Strip away the consumer OS and those machines become a planetary population of half-built instruments waiting for a kernel. 32 32 33 - **AC Native** is the kernel. A Linux boot runs a custom C runtime as PID 1 on x86_64 UEFI laptops, with no desktop, compositor, or browser. Graphics via DRM, input via raw evdev, audio via ALSA at 192 kHz with 32-voice polyphony. Per-seat cost lands near $50, two orders of magnitude below Princeton's PLOrk laptop-orchestra model. A built-in `code` command drops into a terminal running Anthropic's Claude Code, so artists can ask an AI coding partner to modify a piece without leaving the OS. The default piece is *notepat*, an 8,466-line polyphonic instrument. Twenty more pieces ship alongside, including chat and paint. 33 + **AC Native** is the kernel. A Linux boot runs a custom C runtime as PID 1 on x86_64 UEFI laptops, with no desktop, compositor, or browser. Graphics via DRM, input via raw evdev, audio via ALSA at 192 kHz, 32-voice polyphony. Per-seat cost lands near $50, two orders of magnitude below Princeton's PLOrk laptop-orchestra model. A built-in `code` command drops into a terminal running Anthropic's Claude Code. The default piece is *notepat*, an 8,466-line polyphonic instrument. 34 34 35 - **KidLisp** is a minimal Lisp for generative art. 118 functions, accessible to non-programmers yet expressive enough for complex compositions. 17,000+ programs already live on the platform. Programs can be minted on Tezos without artists touching blockchain infrastructure. 35 + **KidLisp** is a minimal Lisp for generative art. 118 functions, 17,000+ programs already on the platform. Programs can be minted on Tezos without artists touching blockchain infrastructure. 36 36 37 - **The Network** hosts 371 built-in pieces, 265 user-published, and 2,800+ registered handles. People draw, chat, and play together in real time. The website has been in active development since 2021 (19,000+ commits across 5 years); AC Native is new, its kernel prototype landing February 2026. 37 + **The Network** hosts 371 built-in pieces, 265 user-published, 2,800+ registered handles. The website has been in active development since 2021 (19,000+ commits across 5 years); AC Native is new, its kernel prototype landing February 2026. 38 38 39 - During the grant period we will develop AC Native into a distributable creative instrument and public installation: 39 + **The Library** is what makes the stack civic. A lending fleet of AC Blank laptops (refurbished ThinkPad 11e Yoga Gen 6, flashed with AC OS at $128/seat) circulates through Flash Days, workshops, and Family Play afternoons at LACMA. Members join a public waitlist. AC OS is the flagship; the library welcomes artists flashing their own custom creative OSes, in the lineage of Nick Montfort's Trope Tank and other artist-run hardware labs. 40 40 41 - 1. **Portable Instruments.** USB-bootable AC Native drives preloaded with curated pieces for visitors to take home. 42 - 2. **KidLisp Workshops.** Hands-on sessions where participants write programs that run on AC Native in real time, from code to sound and image. 43 - 3. **Public Installation.** Multiple AC Native stations at LACMA where visitors encounter creative computing as an instrument-like interaction. 44 - 4. **Open Documentation.** Complete build pipeline, hardware compatibility guide, and curriculum, published openly so other institutions can replicate. 41 + During the grant period we grow the library and run public events: 45 42 46 - This is not a product. It is an argument. The personal computer is still a site of artistic invention, and the new scene has just begun. 43 + 1. **Flash Days.** Cohort artists and library members flash AC Blanks together and take them home. 44 + 2. **KidLisp Workshops.** Hands-on sessions writing programs that run on AC Native in real time. 45 + 3. **Family Play.** Drop-in kiosk hours where visitors of any age play the library's fleet together. 46 + 4. **Open Documentation.** Library curriculum, waitlist software, and build pipeline, published openly. 47 + 48 + This is not a product. It is an argument. The personal computer is a civic instrument, and the new scene has just begun. 47 49 48 50 --- 49 51 ··· 88 90 89 91 _[~95 words]_ 90 92 91 - We propose three forms of public engagement. First, hands-on KidLisp workshops at LACMA where participants write generative art programs that run on AC Native hardware, with no prior coding experience required. Second, an installation of multiple AC Native stations where visitors experience creative computing as a direct, instrument-like interaction. Third, open "build days" where we assemble USB drives and document the process publicly, inviting visitors into the making of the system itself. The entire software stack is free and open source (MIT-licensed on GitHub), so any teacher, artist, or institution can fork it. 93 + Public engagement happens through the AC Device Library. First, Flash Days where cohort artists and library members flash AC Blank laptops together and take them home. Second, KidLisp workshops where participants write generative art programs that run live on AC Native. Third, Family Play afternoons where visitors of any age borrow and play the library's fleet together. A public waitlist keeps the fleet moving. The entire software stack is free and open source on GitHub, and the library openly supports artists flashing their own custom creative OSes onto library hardware. 92 94 93 95 --- 94 96 ··· 98 100 99 101 | Phase | Timing | Milestones | 100 102 |-------|--------|------------| 101 - | **1. Hardware & Curriculum** | Fall 2026 – Spring 2027 | Expand AC Native compatibility to 5+ laptop models, build the multi-piece boot menu, design the 3-level KidLisp workshop curriculum, and produce printed reference cards (extending the sosoft card template used at UCLA). | 102 - | **2. Pre-Symposium Workshops** | Spring – Summer 2027 | Run 2 pilot workshops at LACMA, assemble a prototype multi-station installation, and publish v0 of the open-source build guide. | 103 - | **3. 2027 Symposium · "We boot the cohort."** | Fall 2027 | **At Symposium, every laptop in the room becomes an AC Native instrument from a single USB stick, and a public KidLisp workshop takes participants from first line of code to a running program on the museum floor.** Talk / in-conversation on generative computing, situated alongside the 2023 cohort. | 104 - | **4. Full Installation + Workshops** | Winter 2027 – Summer 2028 | Kiosk-mode hardening, 20+ take-home USB drives, 4 additional workshops, complete documentation, and a translated curriculum (EN + ES, matching AC's translation pipeline). | 105 - | **5. 2028 Demo Day · "We play the room."** | Fall 2028 | **A multi-station AC Native installation premieres on the LACMA floor, and visitors and artists play together across the stations. v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships alongside, so any institution can run its own room.** Public programs introduce the system to teachers, museum educators, and other artists. | 103 + | **1. Library Build-Out + Curriculum** | Fall 2026 – Spring 2027 | Establish the AC Device Library (12 AC Blank laptops, lending-fleet infrastructure, public waitlist software), expand AC Native compatibility to 5+ laptop models, design the 3-level KidLisp workshop curriculum, and produce printed reference cards. | 104 + | **2. First Library Cohort + Pilots** | Spring – Summer 2027 | Open the library waitlist; run 2 pilot Flash Days at LACMA; first public borrowing cycle; assemble a prototype multi-station installation; publish v0 of the open-source build guide. | 105 + | **3. 2027 Symposium · "We boot the cohort."** | Fall 2027 | **At Symposium, every laptop in the room becomes an AC Native instrument from a single USB stick. Cohort artists and library members flash AC Blanks together and take them home.** Public KidLisp workshop. Talk / in-conversation on generative computing alongside the 2023 cohort. | 106 + | **4. Library Scaling + Extended Workshops** | Winter 2027 – Summer 2028 | Kiosk-mode hardening, library curriculum v1 (EN + ES), 4 additional workshops, returns-and-repair cycle for the fleet, complete documentation of the waitlist and lending system. | 107 + | **5. 2028 Demo Day · "We play the room."** | Fall 2028 | **A multi-station AC Native installation premieres on the LACMA floor. Family Play afternoons open the library fleet to visitors of any age. v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships alongside so any institution can run its own room, in the lineage of Nick Montfort's Trope Tank and other artist-run hardware libraries.** | 106 108 107 109 --- 108 110 ··· 112 114 |------|------| 113 115 | Artist fee (24 months, Fall 2026 – Fall 2028) | $22,000 | 114 116 | Studio hardware (dev machines, displays) | $3,500 | 115 - | AC Blank laptops (5 installation + 7 cohort × $128 preloaded with AC Native, incl. shipping) | $2,000 | 117 + | AC Device Library fleet (12 AC Blank laptops × $128 flashed with AC OS, incl. cases + shipping + returns) | $2,000 | 116 118 | Mini Rig portable speakers for installation (5 × $120) | $600 | 117 119 | USB drives, cables, peripherals | $500 | 118 120 | Installation fabrication (furniture, mounts) | $2,500 |

grants/lacma-2026/budget.pdf

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grants/lacma-2026/budget.tex

··· 64 64 \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{@{}Xr@{}} 65 65 Artist fee (24 months, Fall 2026 to Fall 2028) & \$22,000 \\ 66 66 Studio hardware (dev machines, displays) & \$3,500 \\ 67 - AC Blank laptops (5 installation + 7 cohort × \$128 preloaded with AC Native, incl.\ shipping) & \$2,000 \\ 67 + AC Device Library fleet (12 AC Blank laptops × \$128 flashed with AC OS, incl.\ cases + shipping + returns) & \$2,000 \\ 68 68 Mini Rig portable speakers for installation (5 × \$120) & \$600 \\ 69 69 USB drives, cables, peripherals & \$500 \\ 70 70 Installation fabrication (furniture, mounts) & \$2,500 \\ ··· 93 93 94 94 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.3} 95 95 \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{@{}lXr@{}} 96 - \textbf{Fall 2026 to Spring 2027} & \textbf{Hardware \& Curriculum.} Expand AC Native compatibility to 5+ laptop models, build the multi-piece boot menu, design the 3-level KidLisp workshop curriculum, produce printed reference cards. & \$10,000 \\ 97 - \textbf{Spring to Summer 2027} & \textbf{Pre-Symposium Workshops.} 2 pilot workshops at LACMA, prototype multi-station installation, v0 of the open-source build guide. & \$8,000 \\ 98 - \textbf{Fall 2027} & \textbf{2027 Symposium ``We boot the cohort.''} Every laptop in the room becomes an AC Native instrument from a single USB stick; public KidLisp workshop; talk / in-conversation alongside the 2023 cohort. & \$7,000 \\ 99 - \textbf{Winter 2027 to Summer 2028} & \textbf{Full Installation + Extended Workshops.} Kiosk-mode hardening, 20+ bootable USB drives for visitor take-home, 4 additional workshops, complete documentation, translated curriculum (EN + ES). & \$15,000 \\ 100 - \textbf{Fall 2028} & \textbf{2028 Demo Day ``We play the room.''} Multi-station AC Native installation premieres on the LACMA floor; visitors and artists play together across the stations; v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships alongside, so any institution can run its own room. Public programs introduce the system to teachers, museum educators, and artists. & \$10,000 \\ 96 + \textbf{Fall 2026 to Spring 2027} & \textbf{Library Build-Out \& Curriculum.} Establish the AC Device Library (12 AC Blanks, lending-fleet infrastructure, waitlist software), design the 3-level KidLisp workshop curriculum, produce printed reference cards. & \$10,000 \\ 97 + \textbf{Spring to Summer 2027} & \textbf{First Library Cohort + Pilots.} Open the library waitlist; 2 pilot Flash Days at LACMA; first public borrowing cycle; prototype multi-station installation; v0 open-source build guide. & \$8,000 \\ 98 + \textbf{Fall 2027} & \textbf{2027 Symposium ``We boot the cohort.''} Cohort artists and library members flash AC Blanks together and take them home. Public KidLisp workshop; talk alongside the 2023 cohort. & \$7,000 \\ 99 + \textbf{Winter 2027 to Summer 2028} & \textbf{Library Scaling + Extended Workshops.} Kiosk-mode hardening, library curriculum v1 (EN + ES), 4 additional workshops, returns-and-repair cycle for the fleet, complete documentation of the waitlist and lending system. & \$15,000 \\ 100 + \textbf{Fall 2028} & \textbf{2028 Demo Day ``We play the room.''} Multi-station AC Native installation premieres on the LACMA floor; Family Play afternoons open the library fleet to visitors of any age; v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships, so any institution can run its own room (in the lineage of Nick Montfort's Trope Tank and other artist-run hardware libraries). & \$10,000 \\ 101 101 {\color{acgray}\hrulefill} & {\color{acgray}\hrulefill} & {\color{acgray}\hrulefill} \\[-0.3em] 102 102 & \textbf{Total Requested} & \textbf{\$50,000} \\ 103 103 \end{tabularx}

grants/lacma-2026/lacma-2026.pdf

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grants/lacma-2026/lacma-2026.tex

··· 115 115 {\color{acpink}\hrule height 1pt} 116 116 \vspace{1em} 117 117 118 - {\large\bfseries \ac{} is a bare-metal creative computing system (custom hardware, a handmade programming language, and a social network) that reimagines the personal computer as a live musical instrument for art.} 118 + {\large\bfseries \ac{} is a bare-metal creative computing system and public device library (custom hardware, a handmade programming language, a social network, and a lending fleet of laptops for flashing custom creative OSes) that reimagines the personal computer as a live musical instrument for art.} 119 119 120 120 % ======================================================================= 121 121 \achead{Project Description} 122 122 123 123 Personal computers have not been very personal. For forty years the form has been shaped by the companies that sold them: operating systems built to sell attention, software gatekept by app stores. The 1980s personal computing scene promised a computer that belonged to you, that you could program, that could do anything. Platform consolidation cut it short. \ac{} bets a second personal computing scene is starting, and with tools this powerful in everyone's hands it will go wider \emph{and} deeper than the first. Wider because anyone can publish. Deeper because anyone can write a language, modify a kernel, or put an AI coding partner to work on a single piece. 124 124 125 - \ac{} has three interlocking layers: a bare-metal operating system that boots directly into art software, a custom programming language (KidLisp) for generative art, and a social network for publishing interactive programs called ``pieces.'' The whole stack is free and open source on GitHub. 125 + \ac{} has three interlocking layers (a bare-metal operating system, a custom programming language, and a social network) and a public face: \textbf{the Library}. The whole stack is free and open source on GitHub. 126 126 127 - The second scene has feedstock. Windows 10 end-of-life has stranded roughly 240 million x86\_64 laptops; 62 million tonnes of e-waste pile up each year. Strip away the consumer OS and those machines become a planetary population of half-built instruments waiting for a kernel. 127 + \textbf{There has never been a better time to develop new software for old hardware.} Windows 10 end-of-life has stranded roughly 240 million x86\_64 laptops; 62 million tonnes of e-waste pile up each year. Strip away the consumer OS and those machines become a planetary population of half-built instruments waiting for a kernel. 128 128 129 - \textbf{AC Native} is the kernel. A Linux boot runs a custom C runtime as PID\,1 on x86\_64 UEFI laptops, with no desktop, compositor, or browser. Graphics via DRM, input via raw evdev, audio via ALSA at 192\,kHz with 32-voice polyphony. Per-seat cost lands near \$50, two orders of magnitude below Princeton's PLOrk laptop-orchestra model. A built-in \texttt{code} command drops into a terminal running Anthropic's Claude Code, so artists can ask an AI coding partner to modify a piece without leaving the OS. The default piece is \textit{notepat}, an 8,466-line polyphonic instrument. Twenty more pieces ship alongside, including chat and paint. 129 + \textbf{AC Native} is the kernel. A Linux boot runs a custom C runtime as PID\,1 on x86\_64 UEFI laptops, with no desktop, compositor, or browser. Graphics via DRM, input via raw evdev, audio via ALSA at 192\,kHz, 32-voice polyphony. Per-seat cost lands near \$50, two orders of magnitude below Princeton's PLOrk laptop-orchestra model. A built-in \texttt{code} command drops into a terminal running Anthropic's Claude Code. The default piece is \textit{notepat}, an 8,466-line polyphonic instrument. 130 130 131 - \textbf{KidLisp} is a minimal Lisp for generative art. 118 functions, accessible to non-programmers yet expressive enough for complex compositions. 17,000+ programs already live on the platform. Programs can be minted on Tezos without artists touching blockchain infrastructure. 131 + \textbf{KidLisp} is a minimal Lisp for generative art. 118 functions, 17,000+ programs already on the platform. Programs can be minted on Tezos without artists touching blockchain infrastructure. 132 132 133 - \textbf{The Network} hosts 371 built-in pieces, 265 user-published, and 2,800+ registered handles. People draw, chat, and play together in real time. The website has been in active development since 2021 (19,000+ commits across 5 years); AC Native is new, its kernel prototype landing February 2026. 133 + \textbf{The Network} hosts 371 built-in pieces, 265 user-published, 2,800+ registered handles. The website has been in active development since 2021 (19,000+ commits across 5 years); AC Native is new, its kernel prototype landing February 2026. 134 134 135 - During the grant period we will develop AC Native into a distributable creative instrument and public installation: 135 + \textbf{The Library} is what makes the stack civic. A lending fleet of AC Blank laptops (refurbished ThinkPad 11e Yoga Gen 6, flashed with AC OS at \$128/seat) circulates through Flash Days, workshops, and Family Play afternoons at LACMA. Members join a public waitlist. AC OS is the flagship; the library welcomes artists flashing their own custom creative OSes, in the lineage of Nick Montfort's Trope Tank and other artist-run hardware labs. 136 + 137 + During the grant period we grow the library and run public events: 136 138 137 139 \begin{enumerate} 138 - \item \textbf{Portable Instruments.} USB-bootable AC Native drives preloaded with curated pieces for visitors to take home. 139 - \item \textbf{KidLisp Workshops.} Hands-on sessions where participants write programs that run on AC Native in real time, from code to sound and image. 140 - \item \textbf{Public Installation.} Multiple AC Native stations at LACMA where visitors encounter creative computing as an instrument-like interaction. 141 - \item \textbf{Open Documentation.} Complete build pipeline, hardware compatibility guide, and curriculum, published openly so other institutions can replicate. 140 + \item \textbf{Flash Days.} Cohort artists and library members flash AC Blanks together and take them home. 141 + \item \textbf{KidLisp Workshops.} Hands-on sessions writing programs that run on AC Native in real time. 142 + \item \textbf{Family Play.} Drop-in kiosk hours where visitors of any age play the library's fleet together. 143 + \item \textbf{Open Documentation.} Library curriculum, waitlist software, and build pipeline, published openly. 142 144 \end{enumerate} 143 145 144 - This is not a product. It is an argument. The personal computer is still a site of artistic invention, and the new scene has just begun. 146 + This is not a product. It is an argument. The personal computer is a civic instrument, and the new scene has just begun. 145 147 146 148 % ======================================================================= 147 149 \achead{Figures} ··· 195 197 196 198 \acsubhead{Public Engagement} 197 199 198 - We propose three forms of public engagement. First, hands-on KidLisp workshops at LACMA where participants write generative art programs that run on AC Native hardware, with no prior coding experience required. Second, an installation of multiple AC Native stations where visitors experience creative computing as a direct, instrument-like interaction. Third, open ``build days'' where we assemble USB drives and document the process publicly, inviting visitors into the making of the system itself. The entire software stack is free and open source (MIT-licensed on GitHub), so any teacher, artist, or institution can fork it. 200 + Public engagement happens through the AC Device Library. First, Flash Days where cohort artists and library members flash AC Blank laptops together and take them home. Second, KidLisp workshops where participants write generative art programs that run live on AC Native. Third, Family Play afternoons where visitors of any age borrow and play the library's fleet together. A public waitlist keeps the fleet moving. The entire software stack is free and open source on GitHub, and the library openly supports artists flashing their own custom creative OSes onto library hardware. 199 201 200 202 % ======================================================================= 201 203 \achead{Timeline} ··· 204 206 205 207 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.4} 206 208 \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{@{}lX@{}} 207 - \textbf{Fall 2026 -- Spring 2027} & \textbf{Hardware \& Curriculum.} Expand AC Native compatibility to 5+ laptop models, build the multi-piece boot menu, design the 3-level KidLisp workshop curriculum, and produce printed reference cards (extending the sosoft card template used at UCLA). \\ 208 - \textbf{Spring -- Summer 2027} & \textbf{Pre-Symposium: First Workshops.} Run 2 pilot workshops at LACMA, assemble the first prototype multi-station installation, and publish v0 of the open-source build guide. \\ 209 - \textbf{Fall 2027} & \textbf{2027 Symposium ``We boot the cohort.''} At Symposium, every laptop in the room becomes an AC Native instrument from a single USB stick, and a public KidLisp workshop takes participants from first line of code to a running program on the museum floor. Talk / in-conversation on generative computing, situated alongside the 2023 cohort's work. \\ 210 - \textbf{Winter 2027 -- Summer 2028} & \textbf{Full Installation + Extended Workshops.} Kiosk-mode hardening, 20+ bootable USB drives for visitor take-home, 4 additional workshops, complete documentation, and a translated curriculum (English + Spanish, matching AC's existing translation pipeline). \\ 211 - \textbf{Fall 2028} & \textbf{2028 Demo Day ``We play the room.''} A multi-station AC Native installation premieres on the LACMA floor, and visitors and artists play together across the stations. v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships alongside, so any institution can run its own room. Public programs introduce the system to teachers, museum educators, and other artists. \\ 209 + \textbf{Fall 2026 -- Spring 2027} & \textbf{Library Build-Out \& Curriculum.} Establish the AC Device Library (12 AC Blank laptops, lending-fleet infrastructure, public waitlist software), expand AC Native compatibility to 5+ laptop models, design the 3-level KidLisp workshop curriculum, produce printed reference cards. \\ 210 + \textbf{Spring -- Summer 2027} & \textbf{First Library Cohort + Pilots.} Open the library waitlist; run 2 pilot Flash Days at LACMA; first public borrowing cycle; assemble a prototype multi-station installation; publish v0 of the open-source build guide. \\ 211 + \textbf{Fall 2027} & \textbf{2027 Symposium ``We boot the cohort.''} At Symposium, every laptop in the room becomes an AC Native instrument from a single USB stick. Cohort artists and library members flash AC Blanks together and take them home. Public KidLisp workshop; talk / in-conversation on generative computing alongside the 2023 cohort's work. \\ 212 + \textbf{Winter 2027 -- Summer 2028} & \textbf{Library Scaling + Extended Workshops.} Kiosk-mode hardening, library curriculum v1 (EN + ES), 4 additional workshops, returns-and-repair cycle for the fleet, complete documentation of the waitlist and lending system. \\ 213 + \textbf{Fall 2028} & \textbf{2028 Demo Day ``We play the room.''} A multi-station AC Native installation premieres on the LACMA floor. Family Play afternoons open the library fleet to visitors of any age. v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships alongside so any institution can run its own room, in the lineage of Nick Montfort's Trope Tank and other artist-run hardware libraries. \\ 212 214 \end{tabularx} 213 215 \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.0} 214 216 ··· 219 221 \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{@{}Xr@{}} 220 222 Artist fee (24 months, Fall 2026 -- Fall 2028) & \$22,000 \\ 221 223 Studio hardware (dev machines, displays) & \$3,500 \\ 222 - AC Blank laptops (5 installation + 7 cohort × \$128 preloaded with AC Native, incl.\ shipping) & \$2,000 \\ 224 + AC Device Library fleet (12 AC Blank laptops × \$128 flashed with AC OS, incl.\ cases + shipping + returns) & \$2,000 \\ 223 225 Mini Rig portable speakers for installation (5 × \$120) & \$600 \\ 224 226 USB drives, cables, peripherals & \$500 \\ 225 227 Installation fabrication (furniture, mounts) & \$2,500 \\

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system/public/lacma-2026/index.html

··· 698 698 <dd><strong>Aesthetic Computer: Personal Computers Are Not Done Yet</strong></dd> 699 699 700 700 <dt>Three descriptive words</dt> 701 - <dd>instrument · language · network</dd> 701 + <dd>instrument · library · network</dd> 702 702 703 703 <dt>One-sentence description</dt> 704 - <dd>Aesthetic Computer is a bare-metal creative computing system (custom hardware, a handmade programming language, and a social network) that reimagines the personal computer as a live musical instrument for art.</dd> 704 + <dd>Aesthetic Computer is a bare-metal creative computing system and public device library (custom hardware, a handmade programming language, a social network, and a lending fleet of laptops for flashing custom creative OSes) that reimagines the personal computer as a live musical instrument for art.</dd> 705 705 706 706 <dt>Full project description<span class="cap">500 w · ours: 500</span></dt> 707 707 <dd> ··· 722 722 <dd class="statement">Consumer operating systems have become attention-extraction machines, optimized for engagement metrics rather than creative agency. AC Native offers a counter-model: a computer that boots directly into art software and grows alongside the artist. Over five years of active development, Aesthetic Computer's community has written 17,000+ KidLisp programs, made 4,400+ paintings, shared 2,900+ moods, and exchanged 19,000+ chat messages across 2,800+ registered handles. AC Native carries that social layer with it: chat, multiplayer, notepat, KidLisp runtime. The personal computer's design is a cultural question, not a settled technical one, and people show up when given the room.</dd> 723 723 724 724 <dt>Public engagement<span class="cap">100 w · ours: 95</span></dt> 725 - <dd class="statement">Three forms of public engagement. First, hands-on KidLisp workshops at LACMA where participants write generative art programs that run on AC Native hardware, with no prior coding experience required. Second, an installation of multiple AC Native stations where visitors experience creative computing as a direct, instrument-like interaction. Third, open "build days" where we assemble USB drives and document the process publicly, inviting visitors into the making of the system itself. The entire software stack is free and open source on GitHub, so any teacher, artist, or institution can fork it.</dd> 725 + <dd class="statement">Public engagement happens through the AC Device Library. First, Flash Days where cohort artists and library members flash AC Blank laptops together and take them home. Second, KidLisp workshops where participants write generative art programs that run live on AC Native. Third, Family Play afternoons where visitors of any age borrow and play the library's fleet together. A public waitlist keeps the fleet moving. The entire software stack is free and open source on GitHub, and the library openly supports artists flashing their own custom creative OSes onto library hardware.</dd> 726 726 727 727 <dt>Budget<span class="cap">$50k cap · ours: $50k</span></dt> 728 728 <dd> 729 - Artist fee $22,000 (24 mo) · <em>2027 Symposium "boot the cohort" $2,500</em> · <em>2028 Demo Day "play the room" $3,000</em> · <em>Paid event helpers $3,000</em> · Studio hardware $3,500 · <em>AC Blank laptops (12 × $128, 5 install + 7 cohort)</em> $2,000 · Mini Rig speakers + peripherals $1,100 · Install fabrication $2,500 · Workshop materials $1,200 · Server infra $3,500 · Docs + translation $2,000 · Contingency $3,700. <strong>Total $50,000</strong>, the full cap. 729 + Artist fee $22,000 (24 mo) · <em>2027 Symposium "boot the cohort" $2,500</em> · <em>2028 Demo Day "play the room" $3,000</em> · <em>Paid event helpers $3,000</em> · Studio hardware $3,500 · <em>AC Device Library fleet (12 AC Blanks × $128, cases + shipping + returns)</em> $2,000 · Mini Rig speakers + peripherals $1,100 · Install fabrication $2,500 · Workshop materials $1,200 · Server infra $3,500 · Docs + translation $2,000 · Contingency $3,700. <strong>Total $50,000</strong>, the full cap. 730 730 <br><a class="jump" href="#budget">Full budget ↓</a> 731 731 </dd> 732 732 ··· 736 736 <dt>Timeline<span class="cap">24 months · two leads</span></dt> 737 737 <dd> 738 738 <strong>Two public events, one sentence each.</strong><br> 739 - <em>2027 Symposium · "We boot the cohort."</em> Every laptop in the room becomes an AC Native instrument from a single USB stick, and a public KidLisp workshop takes participants from first line of code to a running program on the museum floor.<br> 740 - <em>2028 Demo Day · "We play the room."</em> A multi-station AC Native installation premieres on the LACMA floor, and visitors and artists play together across the stations; v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships alongside so any institution can run its own room. 739 + <em>2027 Symposium · "We boot the cohort."</em> Cohort artists and library members flash AC Blanks together at a public Flash Day and take them home; a public KidLisp workshop takes participants from first line of code to a running program on the museum floor.<br> 740 + <em>2028 Demo Day · "We play the room."</em> A multi-station AC Native installation premieres on the LACMA floor; Family Play afternoons open the library fleet to visitors of any age; v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships so any institution can run its own room. 741 741 <br><a class="jump" href="#calendar">Full calendar ↓</a> 742 742 </dd> 743 743 ··· 797 797 798 798 <p><strong>Aesthetic Computer bets a second personal computing scene is starting</strong>, and with tools this powerful in everyone's hands it will go wider <em>and</em> deeper than the first. Wider because anyone can publish. Deeper because anyone can write a language, modify a kernel, or put an AI coding partner to work on a single piece.</p> 799 799 800 - <p>Aesthetic Computer has three interlocking layers: a bare-metal operating system that boots directly into art software, a custom programming language called <em>KidLisp</em> for generative art, and a social network where anyone can publish and share interactive programs called "pieces." The whole stack is free and open source on GitHub. <strong>The second scene has feedstock</strong>: Windows 10 end-of-life has stranded roughly 240 million x86_64 laptops; 62 million tonnes of e-waste pile up each year. Strip away the consumer OS and those machines become <em>a planetary population of half-built instruments waiting for a kernel</em>.</p> 800 + <p>Aesthetic Computer has three interlocking layers (a bare-metal operating system, a custom programming language called <em>KidLisp</em>, and a social network) and a public face: <strong>the Library</strong>. The whole stack is free and open source on GitHub. <strong>There has never been a better time to develop new software for old hardware.</strong> Windows 10 end-of-life has stranded roughly 240 million x86_64 laptops; 62 million tonnes of e-waste pile up each year. Strip away the consumer OS and those machines become <em>a planetary population of half-built instruments waiting for a kernel</em>.</p> 801 801 802 802 <span class="drop">AC Native is the kernel.</span> 803 803 ··· 813 813 814 814 <p>Aesthetic Computer hosts hundreds of built-in pieces across thousands of registered handles (see live counts below). Every piece is URL-addressable and instantly shareable via QR code. The platform supports real-time multiplayer through WebSocket and UDP channels, so people can draw, compose, and play together. The website has been in active development since 2021 (19,000+ commits across 5 years); AC Native is new, its kernel prototype landing February 2026.</p> 815 815 816 - <span class="drop">What happens in the grant period.</span> 816 + <span class="drop">The Library is what makes it civic.</span> 817 817 818 - <p>Five years of work on the website (19,000+ git commits, 17,000+ KidLisp programs, 2,800+ handles) gives us a platform that already breathes. Two months on AC Native (kernel prototype landed February 2026) give us a kernel, a shutdown strobe, a native <code>code</code> command, and a first public capture. The grant turns that kernel into something a museum and a classroom can run. Over 24 months we expand AC Native compatibility from one laptop to five, build a multi-piece boot menu, design a 3-level KidLisp workshop curriculum (the card format Casey and Lauren used at UCLA, translated EN + ES), harden kiosk mode, press 20+ USB drives for take-home, and ship v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline so any institution can stand up the same rig.</p> 818 + <p>A lending fleet of AC Blank laptops (refurbished ThinkPad 11e Yoga Gen 6, flashed with AC OS at $128/seat) circulates through Flash Days, workshops, and Family Play afternoons at LACMA. Members join a public waitlist. <strong>AC OS is the flagship; the library welcomes artists flashing their own custom creative OSes onto library hardware</strong>, in the lineage of Nick Montfort's <em>Trope Tank</em> at MIT and other artist-run hardware labs. The library is how the stack gets into hands.</p> 819 819 820 - <p><strong style="color:var(--pink)">At the 2027 Symposium we boot the cohort:</strong> every laptop in the room becomes an AC Native instrument from a single USB stick, and a public KidLisp workshop takes participants from first line of code to a running program on the museum floor. <strong style="color:var(--pink)">At the 2028 Demo Day we play the room:</strong> a multi-station AC Native installation premieres on the LACMA floor, visitors and artists play together across the stations, and v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships alongside it.</p> 820 + <span class="drop">What happens in the grant period.</span> 821 + 822 + <p><strong style="color:var(--pink)">At the 2027 Symposium we boot the cohort:</strong> cohort artists and library members flash AC Blanks together at a public Flash Day and take them home; a public KidLisp workshop takes participants from first line of code to a running program on the museum floor. <strong style="color:var(--pink)">At the 2028 Demo Day we play the room:</strong> a multi-station installation premieres on the LACMA floor, Family Play afternoons open the library fleet to visitors of any age, and v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships alongside so any institution can run its own room.</p> 821 823 822 824 <p style="color:var(--dim);font-size:0.88em;margin-top:1.4em">The full 500-word pitch and statements live in <a href="https://aesthetic.computer/lacma-2026/lacma-2026.pdf">lacma-2026.pdf</a>.</p> 823 825 </section> ··· 838 840 <b>Network</b> 839 841 <p>Every piece is URL-addressable. Every URL is a QR code. Real-time multiplayer through WebSocket + UDP. 2,800+ handles. Pieces can be minted on Tezos. A self-publishing creative commons.</p> 840 842 </div> 843 + <div class="anchor"> 844 + <b>Library</b> 845 + <p>A lending fleet of AC Blank laptops ($128/seat, flashed with AC OS) circulating through Flash Days, workshops, and Family Play afternoons. Public waitlist. Welcomes other custom creative OSes. Trope Tank lineage.</p> 846 + </div> 841 847 </div> 842 848 </section> 843 849 ··· 909 915 <h2><span class="ord">§</span>Calendar<span class="count">aligned to LACMA's biennial cadence</span></h2> 910 916 <p style="color:var(--dim);margin-bottom:1em">The Lab's new structure sets two public events: a <em style="color:var(--pink);font-style:normal">2027 Symposium</em> (works-in-development) and a <em style="color:var(--pink);font-style:normal">2028 Demo Day</em> (completed projects). Our lead for each: <strong style="color:var(--pink)">at Symposium we boot the cohort</strong>, <strong style="color:var(--pink)">at Demo Day we play the room</strong>.</p> 911 917 <div class="features"> 912 - <div class="feat"><b>Fall 2026 to Spring 2027</b>Hardware & curriculum: expand AC Native to 5+ laptop models, build multi-piece boot menu, design 3-level KidLisp workshop curriculum, print reference cards (extending the sosoft card template used at UCLA).</div> 913 - <div class="feat"><b>Spring to Summer 2027</b>Pre-Symposium: 2 pilot workshops at LACMA, prototype multi-station installation, publish v0 of the open-source build guide.</div> 914 - <div class="feat" style="border-left-color:var(--pink)"><b style="color:var(--pink)">Fall 2027 · 2027 Symposium · "We boot the cohort."</b><strong style="color:var(--text)">At Symposium, every laptop in the room becomes an AC Native instrument from a single USB stick, and a public KidLisp workshop takes participants from first line of code to a running program on the museum floor.</strong> Talk / in-conversation on generative computing, alongside the 2023 cohort (Reas, Duke, Nickerson, Chang+Kelley, Porras-Kim).</div> 915 - <div class="feat"><b>Winter 2027 to Summer 2028</b>Full installation build: kiosk-mode hardening, 20+ take-home USB drives, 4 additional workshops, documentation, curriculum translation (EN + ES).</div> 916 - <div class="feat" style="border-left-color:var(--pink)"><b style="color:var(--pink)">Fall 2028 · 2028 Demo Day · "We play the room."</b><strong style="color:var(--text)">A multi-station AC Native installation premieres on the LACMA floor, visitors and artists play together across the stations, and v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships alongside so any institution can run its own room.</strong> Public programs introduce the system to teachers, museum educators, and other artists.</div> 918 + <div class="feat"><b>Fall 2026 to Spring 2027</b>Library build-out & curriculum: establish the AC Device Library (12 AC Blanks, lending-fleet infrastructure, public waitlist software), expand AC Native compatibility, design the 3-level KidLisp workshop curriculum, print reference cards.</div> 919 + <div class="feat"><b>Spring to Summer 2027</b>First library cohort + pilots: open the waitlist; 2 pilot Flash Days at LACMA; first public borrowing cycle; prototype multi-station installation; v0 open-source build guide.</div> 920 + <div class="feat" style="border-left-color:var(--pink)"><b style="color:var(--pink)">Fall 2027 · 2027 Symposium · "We boot the cohort."</b><strong style="color:var(--text)">Cohort artists and library members flash AC Blanks together at a public Flash Day and take them home; a public KidLisp workshop takes participants from first line of code to a running program on the museum floor.</strong> Talk / in-conversation on generative computing, alongside the 2023 cohort (Reas, Duke, Nickerson, Chang+Kelley, Porras-Kim).</div> 921 + <div class="feat"><b>Winter 2027 to Summer 2028</b>Library scaling + extended workshops: kiosk-mode hardening, library curriculum v1 (EN + ES), 4 additional workshops, returns-and-repair cycle for the fleet, complete documentation of the waitlist and lending system.</div> 922 + <div class="feat" style="border-left-color:var(--pink)"><b style="color:var(--pink)">Fall 2028 · 2028 Demo Day · "We play the room."</b><strong style="color:var(--text)">A multi-station AC Native installation premieres on the LACMA floor; Family Play afternoons open the library fleet to visitors of any age; v1.0 of the open-source build pipeline ships so any institution can run its own room, in the lineage of Nick Montfort's <em>Trope Tank</em> and other artist-run hardware libraries.</strong></div> 917 923 </div> 918 924 </section> 919 925 ··· 923 929 <p style="color:var(--dim);margin-bottom:1em">Event-tied line items in pink (Symposium, Demo Day, paid helpers). Artist fee covers the full 24-month arc from Fall 2026 through Fall 2028. The 10% contingency line absorbs slip; the helper line is a direct expense for the two cohort events.</p> 924 930 <div class="features"> 925 931 <div class="feat"><b>Artist fee</b>$22,000 · 24 months (Fall 26 to Fall 28)</div> 926 - <div class="feat" style="border-left-color:var(--pink)"><b style="color:var(--pink)">2027 Symposium · "boot the cohort"</b>$2,500 · cohort demo USB kit, on-site workshop station, travel</div> 927 - <div class="feat" style="border-left-color:var(--pink)"><b style="color:var(--pink)">2028 Demo Day · "play the room"</b>$3,000 · multi-station install setup, public-program support, v1.0 release</div> 932 + <div class="feat" style="border-left-color:var(--pink)"><b style="color:var(--pink)">2027 Symposium · "boot the cohort"</b>$2,500 · public Flash Day + KidLisp workshop: cohort artists and library members flash AC Blanks together</div> 933 + <div class="feat" style="border-left-color:var(--pink)"><b style="color:var(--pink)">2028 Demo Day · "play the room"</b>$3,000 · multi-station install + Family Play afternoons + v1.0 release</div> 928 934 <div class="feat" style="border-left-color:var(--pink)"><b style="color:var(--pink)">Paid event helpers</b>$3,000 · workshop TAs + install/take-down at Symposium and Demo Day</div> 929 935 <div class="feat"><b>Studio hardware</b>$3,500 · dev machines + displays</div> 930 - <div class="feat"><b>AC Blank laptops</b>$2,000 · 12 × $128 preloaded with AC Native (5 install + 7 cohort, incl. shipping)</div> 936 + <div class="feat"><b>AC Device Library fleet</b>$2,000 · 12 AC Blank laptops × $128 flashed with AC OS, incl. cases + shipping + returns</div> 931 937 <div class="feat"><b>Mini Rig portable speakers</b>$600 · 5 × $120</div> 932 938 <div class="feat"><b>USB + peripherals</b>$500 · drives, cables, adapters</div> 933 939 <div class="feat"><b>Installation fabrication</b>$2,500 · furniture, mounts, signage</div> ··· 962 968 <p><em>Aesthetic Computer: Personal Computers Are Not Done Yet.</em> The 1980s personal computing scene promised a computer that belonged to you; platform consolidation cut it short. AC bets a second scene is starting, with tools powerful enough to go both wider and deeper than the first.</p> 963 969 <p><strong>AC Native</strong> is a Linux kernel that boots directly into art on x86_64 UEFI laptops, running a custom C runtime as PID 1, with no desktop, no window manager, no browser. 32-voice audio at 192 kHz, DRM graphics, raw evdev input. A built-in <code>code</code> command drops into a terminal running Anthropic's Claude Code, so artists can ask an AI coding partner to modify a piece without leaving the OS. The default piece is <em>notepat</em>, an 8,466-line polyphonic instrument.</p> 964 970 <p><strong>KidLisp</strong> is a minimal Lisp with 118 functions. 17,000+ programs already written. Programs can be minted on Tezos without artists touching blockchain infrastructure.</p> 965 - <p>With LACMA support: <strong style="color:var(--pink)">at the 2027 Symposium we boot the cohort</strong> (cohort-wide USB-boot demo + public KidLisp workshop); <strong style="color:var(--pink)">at the 2028 Demo Day we play the room</strong> (multi-station installation + open-source v1.0 release). The personal computer's design is a cultural question, not a settled technical one, and this project treats it as one.</p> 971 + <p>With LACMA support we grow the <strong>AC Device Library</strong>: a lending fleet of AC Blanks (refurbished ThinkPad 11e Yoga × $128) flashed with AC OS, circulating through a public waitlist. The library welcomes artists flashing their own custom creative OSes, in the lineage of Nick Montfort's Trope Tank. <strong style="color:var(--pink)">At the 2027 Symposium we boot the cohort</strong> (Flash Day + KidLisp workshop); <strong style="color:var(--pink)">at the 2028 Demo Day we play the room</strong> (multi-station installation + Family Play + v1.0 release).</p> 966 972 </div> 967 973 </section> 968 974

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