The Lunar Codex
Samuel Peralta’s Lunar Codex is a visionary project that sends human creativity beyond our planet, archiving on dime-sized nanoficheart, music, literature, and film in a time capsule destined for the Moon. It is more than a collection, it is a testament to our desire to create, connect, and leave a legacy that reaches the stars. The project has captured the imagination of media worldwide, receiving extraordinary coverage for its audacious scale and its celebration of art as a universal language.
I am honoured to be among the 1,000 artists that launched in February 2024, contributing my work to this extraordinary archive. My journey is captured in The Art Side of the Moon, a documentary directed by my daughter Kim Ingles, in which I am one of two main characters alongside Samuel Peralta. Filming was in Noosa, Queensland, where I live, and in Samuel’s home town of Toronto, reflecting the truly global and collaborative spirit of this project. A trailer can be watched at www.youandmepictures.com
And the journey does not end there. There is now a coffee-table book- Manifest for the Moon - celebrating the visions and stories of the artists who joined this lunar-bound adventure, including a 10-page spread dedicated to The Art Side of the Moon. Future Lunar Codex launches will continue to carry art into space, including the entire film etched on nanofiche, ensuring that this story, its creative spirit, and the voices of its artists travel further still. More information on upcoming launches can be found at www.lunarcodex.com.
Today, the Lunar Codex is one of the most truly global cultural heritage projects of its kind, with over 30,000 curated works representing 263 countries and territories, essentially every nation on Earth, and from an additional 156 Indigenous nations.
The Lunar Codex reminds us that imagination and creativity has no borders, and that art, like humanity, knows no limits. It is a lasting record of our time, our culture, and our shared aspiration to touch the stars, bringing the human spirit to the Moon itself, and inspiring audiences on Earth and beyond.
"Our hope is that future travelers who find these time capsules will discover some of the richness of our world today... It speaks to the idea that, despite wars and pandemics and climate upheaval, humankind found time to create art, found time to dream.”
- Dr. Samuel Peralta
“How the Lunar Codex is aiming to change the Moon forever.” — CNN‑style coverage
“…a time capsule of human creativity, stored in the sky.” — The New York Times
“When we look at humanity from a certain time period … it’s pretty incredible to be included, in this context, where it’s on the Moon.” — ABC News
“Music, poetry, drawings and paintings from around the planet are right now on their way to the Moon…” — ABC The World Today
“This is the largest, most global project to launch cultural works into space — there isn’t anything like this anywhere.” — Smithsonian Magazine
“A message in a bottle for the future… showing that even during times of war, pandemic, and upheaval, people still made time to dream and create beauty.” — Smithsonian Magazine
“A cosmic archive of human creativity.” – The New York Times
“An audacious and historic project connecting Earth and Moon through art.” – BBC News
“The Lunar Codex captures the imagination of artists and audiences worldwide.” – Forbes