SHORT TERM GOALS
(2004 – 2016)
In the first phase, between 10 and 20 etoy.AGENTS work on three pillars: M∞ ARCANUM CAPSULES (the content; interactive portraits, data collections), M∞ ANGEL APPLICATIONS (the infrastructure; desktop and server tools to share ARCANUM CAPSULES in P2P networks to distribute data as widely as possible) and M∞ BRIDGES (objects that infiltrate art history and serve as output devices for ARCANUM CAPSULE DATA). In parallel, etoy works on documentation and conservation of MISSION ETERNITY.
a) M∞ ARCANUM CAPSULES: to investigate the nature, structure and aesthetics of digital traces that will be collected, preserved and reactivated after the death of a human being, etoy works with four M∞ TEST PILOTS. All of them are pioneers of the information age and deeply involved in the production. The most extensive experiments are currently carried out with Mr. Joseph Keiser, born 1923 in Zug/Switzerland, a visionary business man and actor. Three potential female PILOTS entered the selection procedure in January 2007. One will be selected to join the MISSION.
Between 2005 and 2008 etoy assembles and launches M∞ ARCANUM CAPSULES, standardized digital data trees . The capsules are a new and interactive form of artistic portrait that includes precisely defined visual information, voice samples, messages of the user to the after-world, social network maps, a postmortem plan and much more. The content of the capsule is dynamic but carefully curated. It is designed and registered to assume its own life in the far future and to accumulate cultural value.
b) M∞ ANGEL APPLICATION: etoy is developing open source software which allows secure and easy sharing of private memory resources to distribute and host ARCANUM CAPSULES on mobile devices (i.e. cell phones) and networked computers. This solution secures a high distribution factor (minimal risk to lose data) and involves a large community in guarding the ARCANUM CAPSULES. The M∞ANGELS and their devices become the hosts of the electronic ghosts – the digital remains of dead people. As soon as the redundancy-factor of a capsule falls below a specific level the system starts to reorganize / redirect ARCANUM CAPSULES among the available memory and triggers an automatic campaign mechanism (informing other M∞ ANGELS of the problem, acquiring advertisement space to recruit angels etc). As all code is licensed under a creative commons license, people all over the world are free to run mirrors and upgrades of the system. The first desktop tools for Linux and Mac OS X are in beta testing. An official Debian server package will hit the net in spring 2008.
M∞ ANGEL APPLICATIONS make it easy to distribute the capsules among thousands of people who help to host the digital legacy on their personal devices. The code helps to establish a strong social network and cross checks / compares versions and organizes the capsules independent from a central server. Open licensing structures, strict documentation and non-proprietary standards guarantee the porting to future platforms and networks.
All M∞ ANGEL APPLICATIONS host a M∞ PERMA- SEEDER: the servers constantly spread ARCANUM CAPSULES and necessary information into the internet and try to recruit M∞ ANGELS. Find a detailed research paper describing the long term data storage technology in the appendix. Developer wiki: http://angelapp.missioneternity.org/
c) M∞ BRIDGES: the objects technically and artistically link physical and memory space. The M∞ BRIDGES exploit the traditionally stable and well organized structure of art collections, libraries and museums to host and display ARCANUM CAPSULES on a long run. Innovative technology and artistic quality guarantee high cultural value and therefore care. The plan is to outsource conservation to protected environments and experts financed by governments, foundations and private collectors. M∞ becomes smart dust in art history.
The first BRIDGE-SERIES is dominated by visual output (SARCOPHAGUS and MISSION CONTROL DISPLAYS) and close to traditional art forms. The second series is based on antenna principles: broad-casting radio signals (voices of M∞ PILOTS), WLAN and cell phone content. They will introduce a new generation of public interactive art. Other BRIDGE-SERIES will follow within the next 11 years to keep the M∞ PILOTS alive and to expand the boundaries of art.