FIBER Festival

STONES is a navigation system to guide future generations to potentially habitable exoplanets. STONES is highly a stable system, it consumes zero electrical energy to operate and therefore will remain functional long after any potential energy failure. The symbols that store this data are reminiscent of the Hermetic alchemist recipes, carved into the stone. STONES reminds us of the urgency to rethink our position as humans on this earth.

STONES (2016) transcribes into binary code all of the currently known exoplanets on which liquid water could exist and therefore life could develop. It stores the coordinates, sizes, duration of a year and other fundamental characteristics, for generations to come.

The chosen storage medium is granite, one of the longest-lasting materials known to humankind. Although the process of engraving the stone is time consuming and the maximum storage capacity very limited, it is technically easy to read and will secure the data for tens of thousands of years.

One plate serves as a legend, ensuring that no prerequisite cultural background is necessary to decipher the pure information stored on the second granite tablet. Stacking the plates further protects the precious data inside. Since all the information relates to a corresponding value on earth, STONES will stay in a secure location on our current planet.

Current astronomical research tends to consider and evaluate its findings within the context of our own culture, yet the truth of the scientific results reach far beyond the duration of our current civilization. The monolith STONES may serve as guide to find salvation in the skies should the situation on Earth leave any remaining species with only one option: to become refugees

Quadrature is a collective for arts, light and robotics. The emphasis of our work is on the intersection of the physical and digital worlds and of art and science. The three members Jan Bernstein, Juliane Götz and Sebastian Neitsch met 10 years ago at the Kunsthochschule Burg Giebichenstein in Halle/Saale, Germany. Six years ago the first collaboration resulted in the wish to join forces and formulate a common artistic practice. Since 2012 all three members of Quadrature finally live and work in Berlin. They all share a love of machines and outer space.