On May 22 at Heft Gallery in New York City, "Redshift" transformed a gallery space into an existential experience for an intimate audience. The immersive audiovisual performance, created by artist Ashley Zelinskie and DJ/Producer illich Mujica, blended live electronic music, custom-coded visuals, NASA-inspired imagery and spoken-word narration into a cosmic ride through light and sound themselves.The sold-out event opened with a listening session of NASA's Golden Record — the message launched aboard the interstellar Voyager probe in 1977 to offer a slice of Earth to any intelligent life that might encounter it. Played through the "Volumes" listening system designed by Joe Doucet, the opening moments set the tone for a performance rooted in science, art and wonder.
"Redshift" performance at Heft Gallery in New York City on May 22, 2026. (Image credit: Artem Belov (@art.photo.usa))Drawing heavily from imagery captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, Zelinskie's visuals, projected on a wall of the gallery, shifted through wavelengths of light to simulate the astronomical phenomenon of redshift — the stretching of light across space and time. Mujica's live audio performance moved alongside the stunning visualizations, weaving together ambient electronica, psychedelic rock, and NASA-inspired spoken word samples to deliver a psychedelic event that was meditative and hypnotic at times.In the conversation below, Zelinskie, Mujica and gallery owner Adam Berninger talk about how "Redshift" came to life, the Webb imagery behind the visuals, the inclusion of Pink Floyd's "Is There Anybody Out There?," and more.Space.com: How did you decide which part of NASA's historic Golden Record would open the experience?Adam Berninger: The evening began with a listening session from NASA's Golden Record, the sounds of Earth encoded on a disc and launched into deep space in 1977 aboard Voyager. A message from us to whatever might be out there. We listened to the opening greeting from the United Nations followed by a selection of music.The record was played on the Volumes listening system designed by Joe Docet, conceived as spatial listening instruments rather than conventional audio speakers. They're installed as the centerpiece of our "Transmissions" initiative, created to bring together important musical experiences with a range of systems-based fine artworks at our LES gallery, Heft. These events run from May 15 - June 12th.
