For his latest project, artist and photographer Justin Aversano—known for his acclaimed series “Twin Flames”—set out with a simple compass: love. Armed with just a camera, intuition, and an unspoken promise to document humanity across all seven continents, Aversano embarked on a remarkable journey.
The result is *“Moments of the Unknown,”* a living archive of global intimacy. This ambitious work is currently presented as an exhibition at Glitch Gallery in Marfa, Texas, coinciding with the Art Blocks Marfa Weekend this month. Additionally, a documentary screening is being held at the nearby Crowley Theater.
Decrypt had the opportunity to sit down with Aversano for an inside look at his journey, reflections, and creative process.
### From a Quiet Film to an Audio-Visual Experiment
Initially, Aversano planned the film to be a much quieter affair.
“It was mostly just gonna be no sound,” he recalls.
However, the project evolved as he traveled across continents into an audio-visual experiment. Hundreds of brief video portraits were stitched together, enhanced by soundscapes sourced from humanity’s most iconic artifact of love and hope: the “Voyager Golden Record.”
This phonograph record, sent into space in 1977, contains sounds and images representing Earth. Carl Sagan chaired the NASA committee that assembled the record.
“I wanted to reintegrate that historical movement in culture and space exploration—and use it as the soundtrack for a film about cultures and continents around the world and how they’re connected,” Aversano explained.
Each location in the film resonates with its own fragment from these sounds. Voices speak in 55 different languages, and delegates from the United Nations each say one simple word: “Hello.” It all culminates with the film’s final line: **“Hello from the children of planet Earth.”**
### Love as a Universal Language
At its core, *“Moments of the Unknown”* is about love—but not just romantic love. It encompasses family, friendship, and a sense of oneness.
“What I discovered while shooting is that love has so many forms,” Aversano shared.
“It became about unity, closeness, intimacy. The love of humanity and recognizing we are one human family.”
Rather than scouting subjects in advance, Aversano woke up each day uncertain of who he would meet. With no checklist for diversity or specific goals, he captured human encounters as they came—children, elders, strangers, twins, entire families.
Even the recurring heartbeat sounds in the soundtrack have personal significance. “That’s family,” he explained. “My dad, my sister, my brother. Moments where I felt presence and love.”
### Self-Portraits, Time Capsules, and a Nod to Twin Flames
Aversano quietly inserts himself into his projects, and *“Moments of the Unknown”* is no exception. His first appearance is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo at a barbershop in New Orleans.
“I just wanted to be a prop in her portrait,” he said.
Another self-portrait appears at Stonehenge on his birthday—an intentional callback to his earliest work, *“The Birthday Project.”* He calls it “an Easter egg,” a thread linking ten years of his artistry.
People reappear over time in his work. They age. Twins emerge, old and new. “I always run into twins,” he laughs, referencing his highly regarded *Twin Flames* series.
*Twin Flames* caught fire with collectors when photos of twin siblings were minted as NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain in 2021. Those tokenized photos even made it to auction house Christie’s and attracted celebrity admirers like Snoop Dogg and Gary Vaynerchuk.
“I never say no,” Aversano admits. “It’s twin flames.”
### The Most Remote Chapter: Antarctica
One of the project’s most challenging chapters was shot in Antarctica.
“A two-day boat from Argentina. Seven days there, two days back,” he shared.
When asked to name a favorite country, he answered philosophically:
“You can’t choose a favorite when it’s all one.”
### A Living Diary, Daily NFT Auctions, and Ongoing Connection
Aversano shot the project two years ago and is releasing each portrait and video exactly on the same calendar day it was taken. The series began on April 8 and will conclude on April 7, 2026.
Each evening, he writes a diaristic entry about the person he met that day. He is now auctioning these daily portraits as unique, single-edition NFTs. Impressively, Aversano hasn’t missed a day.
Every day at 12 pm ET, he hosts an X Spaces conversation to discuss the day’s auction, creating an ongoing dialogue with his audience.
### Reflections on Impact and Reception
When asked what he hopes viewers take away from the film, Aversano focused not on legacy or sales, but on emotional connection.
“Did you feel something?” he asked. “That’s all I want.”
Reflecting on the emotional reception he experienced in Marfa last weekend—where he was brought to tears—he said simply:
“I feel blessed, grateful. What more can you ask?”
—
*“Moments of the Unknown”* stands as a beautiful testament to love, unity, and shared humanity—a powerful reminder that, no matter where we come from, we are all connected.
https://decrypt.co/345942/moments-unknown-justin-aversano-debuts-globetrotting-love-letter-humanity