CARPE DIEM - millennial loop

"CARPE DIEM" - An instant in a millennial loop

Everything passes in a flash and life is a succession of different moments, sometimes similar, but in any case, all different and unique.
An artwork to reflect on the passage of time and the perception of every moment.

"Carpe Diem" is Latin for "seize the moment".
The work consists of a loop that takes about 1000 years to complete its cycle.
The work is created through 9 cells arranged in a 3x3 matrix which change the symbol they contain every second.

The sequence of the images is not random but has a predetermined order.
The sequence has been planned through the use of prime numbers, so the first cell loops on 5 symbols, the second on 7 symbols, the third on 11 symbols and so forth with the last loop made up of 31 symbols.
In this way it is possible to calculate the exact combination expected at a certain point in time. The set of 9 cells generates always different combinations that are repeated every 33 billion seconds, therefore every 1059 years or so.

"Seize the moment" because every moment, every second, every combination is different from the previous, like every moment of one’s life, even if sometimes certain combinations seem similar.
When a 1059-year cycle closes and as soon as the next loop begins, all 9 cells—each containing a different symbol—line up perfectly. At that precise moment "CARPE DIEM" (9 characters) can be read for a single second only. Will you be there to read it?

A timer will show the seconds that remain to close the cycle, which will end exactly on October 31st, 2022 at 20:00 (Timezone GMT+0). The next cycle will end January 31, 3082.

Are you ready to observe the alignment of the letters?
Carpe diem.

This work uses p5.js library.