Sidereal (2023)

Inspired by stories like Carl Sagan’s Contact and movies like The Last Starfighter, Branden set out, with assistance from his son Kai, to create his first story-driven interactive installation.

Sidereal is a roughly mirrored hexagonal shard and is presented as an artifact of unknown origin. During the day the artifact is cordoned off with warning signs and a log showing the timeline of events. How the artifact was discovered and a team from a local university was working to investigate it.

At night the cordon would be removed. Visitors approaching the artifact would find it now glowing through the mirrored surfaces and occasional playing short melodies to attract them. They would also find a missing poster for the lead scientist who had been investigating the artifact. She mysteriously disappeared as was last seen working late one night during the investigation.

Vistors could then discover that on the top of each face of the artifact was a triangular button. Upon pushing this button they would see shapes and colors change on other surfaces. If they figured out that the colors should match the colors on the sides of the artifact that would be greeted with music, twinkling lights… and the next stage of the puzzle.

Particularly perceptive and persistent visitors might even complete the sixth and final level of the puzzle and then learn the true origin of the artifact and the fate of the lead scientist.

Sidereal was made possible through an art grant provide by FirePony Creative Society and was displayed at their Constellation reigonal Burning Man event.