# The Persistence of Chaos > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Persistence_of_Chaos > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Persistence_of_Chaos.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persistence_of_Chaos > Source revision: 1346824790 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Virus-infected laptop as a work of art}}{{Infobox artwork | title = The Persistence of Chaos | image = The_Persistence_of_Chaos.jpg | alt = A laptop on a white background with malware visible on the screen | caption = ''The Persistence of Chaos'' in 2019, with [WannaCry](/source/WannaCry) visible onscreen | artist = {{plainlist| *Guo O Dong *[MSCHF](/source/MSCHF) }} | year = 2019 | dimensions = 10.3” (260 mm) × 1.2” (30 mm) × 7.3” (190 mm) | weight = {{convert|2.8|lb}} | website = {{url|https://thepersistenceofchaos.com/}} }} '''''The Persistence of Chaos''''' is a work of art consisting of a laptop that contains six [computer virus](/source/computer_virus)es, [worm](/source/Computer_worm)s, and pieces of [malware](/source/malware) that have caused major damage. The artwork was created in 2019 by artist [Guo O Dong](/source/Guo_O_Dong) and the collective [MSCHF](/source/MSCHF), and sold at auction for $1,345,000 in May 2019. Guo O Dong described it as a [bestiary](/source/bestiary) for historical malware, and expressed concern about the high price at which it sold, stating that he would either spend the money on another project or burn it. == Background == {{Quote box | quote = We have this fantasy that things that happen in computers can't actually affect us, but this is absurd. Weaponized viruses that affect power grids or public infrastructure can cause direct harm. | author = Guo O Dong | source = in ''[The Verge](/source/The_Verge)'' | width = 250px }} ''The Persistence of Chaos'' was created in 2019 by artist Guo O Dong''{{cite web |last1=Vincent |first1=James |date=May 25, 2019 |title=A laptop filled with six of the world's most dangerous viruses is on sale for more than $1 million |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/25/18638308/laptop-viruses-malware-auction-persistence-of-chaos-guo-o-dong |access-date=March 30, 2021 |website=[The Verge](/source/The_Verge) |language=en |archive-date=April 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401020839/https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/25/18638308/laptop-viruses-malware-auction-persistence-of-chaos-guo-o-dong |url-status=live }}'' and [MSCHF](/source/MSCHF){{Cite web |last= |title=The Persistence Of Chaos |url=https://thepersistenceofchaos.com/ |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=The Persistence Of Chaos |language=en |archive-date=2022-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201185347/https://thepersistenceofchaos.com/ |url-status=live }} after they were [commissioned](/source/Commission_(art)) by [Deep Instinct](/source/Deep_Instinct), a [computer security](/source/computer_security) company.'''' It cost more than $10,000 to create, with much of the money spent on ensuring that the malware it contained was effectively [firewalled](/source/Firewall_(computing)) so that it could not spread to other computers.{{Cite web |last=Dafoe |first=Taylor |date=2019-05-22 |title=A Laptop Infected With the World's Most Dangerous Computer Viruses Is Up for Auction. The Bid Is Now More Than $1.2 Million |url=https://news.artnet.com/market/malware-artwork-goes-to-auction-1554505 |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=[Artnet News](/source/Artnet_News) |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314082629/https://news.artnet.com/market/malware-artwork-goes-to-auction-1554505 |url-status=live }} Guo O Dong originally intended to title the work ''Antivaxxer'' in reference to [vaccine hesitancy](/source/vaccine_hesitancy), but changed the name as the intent of the artwork shifted during its creation. He told ''[The Verge](/source/The_Verge)'' that the work was intended to be a physical manifestation of digital threats that might otherwise seem abstract, describing it as "a kind of [bestiary](/source/bestiary) — a catalogue of historical threats". ==Description== The technical basis for ''The Persistence of Chaos'' was a [Samsung NC10](/source/Samsung_NC10), a [netbook](/source/netbook) first released in 2008. The laptop computer equipped with [Windows XP](/source/Windows_XP) was deliberately infected with an assortment of [virus](/source/Computer_virus)es, [worm](/source/Computer_worm)s, and [malware](/source/malware) which have caused $95 billion in financial damages: the [ILOVEYOU](/source/ILOVEYOU) virus, [Mydoom](/source/Mydoom) worm, [Sobig](/source/Sobig) worm, [WannaCry](/source/WannaCry_ransomware_attack) ransomware, [DarkTequila](/source/DarkTequila) malware, and [BlackEnergy](/source/BlackEnergy) malware. The device was isolated and [airgapped](/source/Air_gap_(networking)) to prevent misuse of the malware it contained. The artwork measures 10.3” ({{Convert|10.3|in|disp=output only}}) × 1.2” ({{Convert|1.2|in|disp=output only}}) × 7.3” ({{Convert|7.3|in|disp=output only}}), and weighs {{Convert|2.8|lb}}. In addition to the malware-loaded laptop, it includes the [power cord](/source/power_cord) for the device and a restart script. == Auction == ''The Persistence of Chaos'' was sold in an online [auction](/source/auction) as a work of art. During the auction, a [live stream](/source/Livestreaming) showing the laptop was accessible through [Twitch](/source/Twitch_(service)).{{Cite web |last=Benjamin |first=Patrick |date=2019-05-30 |title=The artist who sold a virus-addled laptop for £1 million |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/science-tech/article/44637/1/the-artist-who-sold-a-virus-addled-laptop-for-1-million |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=[Dazed](/source/Dazed) |language=en |archive-date=2020-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921202413/https://www.dazeddigital.com/science-tech/article/44637/1/the-artist-who-sold-a-virus-addled-laptop-for-1-million |url-status=live }} A disclaimer on the auction webpage noted that selling malware for reuse "is illegal in the United States" and that bidders must "agree and acknowledge that you're purchasing this work as a piece of art or for academic reasons, and have no intention of disseminating any malware." It additionally stated that the computer's [ports](/source/Computer_port_(hardware)) and capacity for internet connection would be disabled before shipping. The auction closed on May 28, 2019, with a winning bid of $1,345,000{{cite web |last1=Fisher |first1=C. |title=Auction for a laptop full of malware closes at $1.3 million |url=https://www.engadget.com/2019-05-27-persistence-of-chaos-malware-laptop-auction.html |website=[Engadget](/source/Engadget) |access-date=March 30, 2021 |date=May 27, 2019 |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225220837/https://www.engadget.com/2019-05-27-persistence-of-chaos-malware-laptop-auction.html |url-status=live }} by an unknown buyer. The money went to Guo O Dong, who told ''[Artnet News](/source/Artnet_News)'' that he would either spend it on creating another artwork or burn it. He noted that the amount of public interest in ''The Persistence of Chaos'' was thought-provoking for him, stating that "this piece could be considered an exhibit of historical weaponry" and questioning why someone wanted to spend so much money on acquiring it. == Reception == [Infoblox](/source/Infoblox) executive Gary Cox told [''Verdict''](/source/Verdict_(website)) that ''The Persistence of Chaos'' was one of the things making him "rethink what constitutes art on a regular basis", comparing it to [Banksy](/source/Banksy)'s ''[Love Is in the Bin](/source/Love_Is_in_the_Bin)'' and noting that the laptop forming the basis of the work had a resale value of roughly $50. [ESET](/source/ESET) security specialist Jake Moore said that the work "essentially contains modern-day history in the form of zeros and ones". Faye Mitchell, the deputy director of [Coventry University](/source/Coventry_University)'s School of Computing, Electronics and Mathematics, expressed the concern that the artwork was a distortion and trivialization of cybersecurity and its purpose.{{Cite web |last=Christou |first=Luke |date=2019-05-23 |title=The Persistence of Chaos: Why is this malware-ridden laptop worth $1.2m? |url=https://www.verdict.co.uk/the-persistence-of-chaos-laptop/ |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=[Verdict](/source/Verdict_(website)) |language=en-US |archive-date=2020-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813163321/https://www.verdict.co.uk/the-persistence-of-chaos-laptop/ |url-status=live }} ==References== {{Reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Persistence of Chaos, The}} Category:Contemporary works of art Category:Digital artworks Category:Samsung computers Category:Science in art Category:2019 works Category:Laptops --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Persistence of Chaos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persistence_of_Chaos) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persistence_of_Chaos?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.