The Epitaph
The Epitaph is an art intervention that took place on top of the Pyramid of Khafre in Cairo, Egypt. Using a drone on the morning of October 13, 2018, Boccanegra secretly placed a disc with an engraved message on the pinnacle of the pyramid.
The central premise of The Epitaph is the inevitable self-destruction of humanity. While Boccanegra intentionally leaves the specifics open to interpretation, he believes that our human nature ultimately stands in the way of our survival. As intelligent animals, we are driven by self-interest, shortsightedness, and greed, characteristics that have shaped our progress but may hinder our future unless we find a way to transcend them.
The inspiration for The Epitaph stems from the Golden Records attached to the Voyager space probes launched by NASA in 1977. These records were intended to represent Earth's diversity of life and culture to potential extraterrestrial beings. However, he found the portrayal of our species in those records inadequate and questioned the likelihood of receiving a response from extraterrestrial life given the vast timeframes involved.
With this in mind, Boccanegra decided to leave a message not for potential aliens but for the people of today. He wanted to confront them with the possible consequences of humanity's impact on Earth. The concept was to create a simple and concise message that would reflect what happened to us as a species. Although Boccanegra doesn't believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life, he utilized the story of the Golden Record as a symbolic framework upon which to hang his own narrative.
Boccanegra chose the Pyramid of Khafre as the site for his intervention after considering what would happen to Earth in the absence of humans. The enduring pyramids of Giza, monumental stone structures dating back approximately 4,500 years, symbolized the lasting presence of humanity's creations. To ensure the disc's placement without causing damage to the pyramid, a drone was employed during the early hours of the day when tourists were absent, minimizing risks for all involved.
Through The Epitaph, Boccanegra seeks to ignite reflection and dialogue about the precarious nature of humanity's existence and our role in shaping the world. By leaving his message atop the Pyramid of Khafre, he hopes to communicate, in an indirect manner, with present-day individuals, confronting them with the potential consequences of our actions and urging us to consider the legacy we will leave behind.