Burnt Dot (Sarah Belle Reid and Ryan Gaston) play at the CCRMA stage, Stanford University.
The Rare Earth hypothesis states that complex life is the product of an intricate series of coincidental cosmic conditions. The unlikelihood for these precise circumstances to align suggests that intelligent life is rare elsewhere in the universe—if it exists at all. But perhaps complex life is more varied than we know to look for. It might even be all around us, undetected or simply unnoticed.
An audiovisual performance piece inspired by the emergence of organized systems in chaotic environments, Rare Earth for Desert Plant is a ritual plea for interstellar contact. Using augmented trumpet, modular synthesizers, interactive visuals, and ceremonial objects, a beacon for intelligent communication is formed and activated.