I Wish We Could Tell You Everything

I Wish We Could Tell You Everything

A message, a fiction, a meditation.

How would you introduce yourself to someone (some being) who knows nothing of humanity? What would you say? What would you leave out? How could you express the things that are important to you, so they would understand?

The history of addressing messages to extraterrestrials is full of bizarre (sometimes surreal) choices, and always an exclusive practice.. Thus far, the objects and radio waves that we have sent out into the universe have all been crafted by individuals or small groups, speaking on behalf of all of humanity.

Conceived as an installation by Mary Pedicini with sound by Asher Levitas, this fictional exercise attempts to imagine a democratic messaging practice: A 'reflecting pool' in the guise of a circular mirror, positioned on the floor, offers direct access to some as-yet-uncontacted alien species. The audience is invited to sit with the transmitting device and engage with a guided meditation that offers subjects for contemplation.

Mary Pedicini is an American transdisciplinary artist and researcher based in London. Her work is driven by a fascination with other ways of thinking and being, and, through speculative fictions and storytelling, often sets up encounters that decenter human perspectives. Her artworks often take the form of an experience, rather than an object, and her individual and collaborative projects have resulted in guided meditations, interactive installations and immersive theatre. She has twice been artist in residence at the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute, a community of artists and scientists exploring intelligence, mind, and cognition in all forms, and is currently a coordinating member of the international art-science collective SEADS (Space, Ecologies, Art and Design). Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at Standpoint Galleryand the Freud Museumin London, UK, Abigail Ogilvyin Boston, US, and Meisyakan Galleryin Ningbo, China.

Asher Levitas is an experimental musician and sound artist. His practice explores the intersection between ambient, pop and field recordings. Originally releasing music and performing with the Audio-Visual Collective Old Apparatus in the 2010's, Asher has gone on to work on a number of projects, including producing Paper Dollhouse's The Sky Looks Different Here and releasing his solo debut album Lit Harness on Planet Mu. Over the last decade or more he has collaborated with labels including The Tapeworm, Deep Medi and Houndstooth, and has been published by Mute Song and Multiverse. Asher's AV live shows have toured internationally, playing at music festivals and art galleries alike, most notably at Barbican Centre, ICA and Sonic Acts. His collaborative installations have been shown at Tate Britain and SIGGRAPH Asia Art Gallery, Tokyo. His music has been supported by Mary Anne-Hobbs, Tom Ravenscroft and Late Junction, and has been covered by The Wire, The Quietus, Electronic Sound and i-D. In 2023 he received the Art Council England's DYCP grant.