capsule a, an insulated metal thermos, turned out to be virtually impenetrable. in the process of sawing it open, charcoal from the insulation layer was transferred to its contents. while this obscured some of the written information, the visual effect is arguably more compelling than plain white pages would have been.

capsule b was created during the event because another vessel was needed to hold all the items. a metal tackle box was chosen for this purpose, and held up surprisingly well for a spontaneous addition. condensation inside the capsule resulted in some deterioration of its contents, which similarly obscured and transformed them in interesting ways.

the capsules contained a roll of film and compactFlash card with portraits of each participant. when the film was developed, its emulsion slid off and the images were lost. the chip in the memory card has some minor corrosion, and we don’t know at this time if the images can be recovered. if you have the ability to do so and would like to donate your services, please contact us.

we also found a mason jar of water buried alongside capsules a and b. its origin and purpose are unclear, but we suspect it may be an homage to marcel duchamp’s paris air.