Daniela De Paulis: Opticks

Artist(s):

• Daniela De Paulis

Title:

Opticks

Exhibition:

• SIGGRAPH Asia 2013: Art Gallery

Category:

• Performance

Artist Statement:

Opticks is a live radio transmission performance between the Earth and the Moon during which images are sent to the Moon and back as radio signals. The project has been realized by visual artist Daniela de Paulis (IT/NL) in collaboration with Jan van Muijlwijk and the CAMRAS radio amateurs association based at Dwingeloo radio telescope (NL). Each live performance is made possible thanks to the collaboration of radio enthusiasts Howard Ling (UK), Bruce Halász (Brazil) and Daniel Gautschi (CH). Opticks uses a technology called Earth-Moon-Earth or Moon-bounce, developed shortly after WWII by the US Military for espionage purposes. EME uses the Moon as a natural reflector for radio signals. After the deployment of artificial satellites in the late 50s, radio amateurs continued using it as mean of communication. The ‘noise’ showing in any moon-bounced image is caused by the great distance travelled by the radio signals to the Moon and back (approximately 800.000 kilometers) and by the poor reflective qualities of the Moon’s surface. When the radio signals hit the Moon’s surface, they are scattered in all directions so that only a small percentage of the original signalsis reflected back on Earth.

The title Opticks is inspired by Newton’s discoveries of the light spectrum, reflection and refraction. The colors composing an image – converted into radio signals – are bounced off the Moon (reflected and refracted) by its surface during each live performance of Opticks.

Audio: