With Render Network, filmmakers in Artechouse’s Submerge exhibit in NYC can tap into massive GPU power—turning highly ambitious concepts into vivid reality.
Motion graphics artist Gavin Shapiro thinks art needs to be a lot less serious. In his three-minute film Wingin’ It, dancing pink flamingos and swaying penguins flit across the walls and floor in high definition. When I saw it recently—at immersive art gallery Artechouse’s Submerge exhibit in New York City—I was transported to an otherworldly pool party and couldn’t help but move my hips a little.
« My artistic language is satirical », Shapiro tells me. « There aren’t enough people trying to be funny. » Shapiro, a 37-year-old based in upstate New York, first made a version of Wingin’ It in 2021, and he adapted it for this exhibit using the Render Network—a decentralized web of computing power that’s also behind high-profile displays such as the Sphere in Las Vegas. « It’s basically the reason I was able to make the piece », he says.
The Render Network relies on GPUs at large data centers, but more so on individuals who offer their home computing power in exchange for payment.
