CONTACT ATTEMPT Finalist Award
Organised by Foundation Herbert W. Franke for the 50th Anniversary of the Arecibo Message.
The artwork base23 explores interstellar communication through a multisensory reinterpretation of the Arecibo message. This interstellar radio message carrying basic information about humanity and Earth was sent out in 1974. Taking the famous 73-line binary transmission, base23 transforms each 23-bit sequence into both a visualized spiked pattern and corresponding sound elements, creating a dynamic digital experience that cycles through all 73 configurations.
While the original message relied on the assumption that extraterrestrial intelligence would interpret the one-dimensional signal as a 23x73 pixel grid (chosen for their prime number properties), base23 challenges this anthropocentric perspective by offering alternative representations of the same data. Through its dual manifestation in visual form and sound, the artwork contemplates the inherent complexities and assumptions we make when attempting to convey meaning across the ultimate void of interstellar space and cognitive frameworks.
The entire piece was generated with JavaScript and GLSL, without relying on any external libraries or sound samples.