November 16th, 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the first large-scale scientific attempt to make contact with an alien intelligence via radio transmission, sent from the world’s largest radio telescope at the time, located in Arecibo (Puerto Rico). Since then, several other Messages to Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence have been launched, such as The Cosmic Call 1 and 2, or Hello From Earth, a transmission to the planetary system Gliese 581.
In these fifty years, the condition of our planet and its ecosystems has drastically deteriorated. Moreover, we live in the paradox that, despite all our scientific and intellectual progress, we have not learned to live in peace.
The Arecibo message was meant as a demonstration of human technological achievement, rather than a real attempt to enter into a conversation with extraterrestrials. But despite all our science and knowledge, we are accelerating and aggravating the environmental and social crisis towards the point of no return and towards apocalyptic scenarios, which many populations are unfortunately already experiencing.
Civilizations capable of advanced space travel would have likely resolved issues like war, environmental degradation, and social inequality, lessons that could guide us. Encountering a peaceful, advanced extraterrestrial civilization might offer humans a roadmap to avoid self- destruction. But this message is therefore meant as a demonstration of our total failure to manage the planet, its inhabitants and its resources, regardless of technological achievements. A desperate plea for help from life forms that are not only more evolved but hopefully wiser.
The interstellar radio message can be presented in large-format printed form (7 metre strip), and is intended to stimulate a critical debate on the issues addressed. The message can be displayed in different ways (4K digital image, large format paper print, HD video and full dome video) as well as being encoded as IRM in electromagnetic radio frequency form.
The aim of the project is to stimulate a critical but also playful reflection on the paradox that sees us technologically developed but knowledge without love and compassion is dangerous and that humanity’s inability to reconcile intellectual growth with moral and spiritual progress leads to violence and war.
The message is written in an asemic language and to decipher it, intelligence alone is not enough: empathy, love and compassion are required, accompanied by high moral and spiritual evolution.
This project was created and submitted for the open call “Contact Attempt” of the art meets science – Foundation Herbert W. Franke and projected as a full dome video at the Hamburg and the Bochum planetarium in November 2024
