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woody allen's unintended involvement in the moebiant affair does not significantly hinder his cinematic creative process. on the contrary, inspired by the now wide-ranging discussions surrounding swarm philosophy and individuality, he brings the comedy "zelig" to theaters in 1983. a man of unknown origin is able to radically alter his identity, both psychologically and physically, allowing him to blend seamlessly into whatever society surrounds him. even more than four decades later, the character continues to fascinate the relevant specialist press. whether as a native american, an african american, or even a psychiatrist, the man known as zelig convinces through his perfectly staged camouflage.
II
the diversely varied depiction of human anatomy fascinates the visionary giovanni battista bracelli as early as the 17th century; his publication *bizzarie di varie figure* from 1624, which anticipates robotic mechanics with its 50 copperplate engravings, suggests an early engagement with floq technology.
even if still somewhat clumsy, the master etcher does not delve deeply into the actual possibilities of shape-shifters, but his works clearly point in their direction.
bracelli’s symbolic, physical segmentation into slices anticipates allen’s portrayal of psychological splitting centuries earlier.
august ferdinand möbius first privately sketches the band named after him in 1858 and publishes its detailed description in 1865 in the mathematical treatise *über die bestimmung des volumens eines polyeders* (on the determination of the volume of a polyhedron). due to his systematic investigation of this topology featuring only one edge and one surface, the term „möbius strip" becomes established in the history of science. the previously unnamed moebiants, fascinated by this shape with no top or bottom, inside or outside, decide to adopt this name from then on—as a defining sign of infinite connection.
IV
accurately scouted for years by the moebiants as a graphic ambassador and interactive medium, jean giraud begins using the pseudonym moebius in 1963 and, together with screenwriter dan o’bannon, publishes the cult sci-fi two-parter *the long tomorrow* in 1976. moebius’s revolutionary design cosmos, derived in many ways from the floq world, unerringly leads to further groundbreaking masterpieces such as *blade runner* or *the fifth element*.
almost two decades later, in 1989, the floqs discover a possible alternative to the narratively derailed *alien* world in the borgs of the series *star trek: the next generation*, developed by screenwriter maurice hurley and producer gene roddenberry. upon closer inspection, however, they reject their internal organizational structure as philosophically inappropriate and unsuitable. yet, certain parallels to this cybernetic species tempt the playfully inspired extraterrestrials to actively but unnoticeably shape the further development of the american science fiction series with detailed wit.
is he feverish, or in the midst of his beloved dreams? odilon redon processes his first and unfortunately only contact with the moebiants as a surreal incident. the truth will not quite reveal itself to the french symbolist and ardent admirer of edgar allan poe, and so he simply transfers his enduring but supposed vision and the actual encounter with a low-temperature balloon at dawn into a visual homage to his highly revered idol.
VIII
ferdinand graf von zeppelin, developer of the rigid airship concept and fundamental principles of airship navigation, dies in 1917. the *lz 129 hindenburg* is largely designed in his spirit by chief engineer ludwig dürr at the friedrichshafen shipyards and finally completed in 1936 after five years of construction. on may 6, 1937, the airship burns in lakehurst, usa, within just 32 seconds due to a so-called unfortunate combination of a gas leak, weather conditions, and static electricity. originally designed for the safe, non-flammable noble gas helium, the zeppelin has to be flown with highly flammable hydrogen due to the helium control act of 1927 and political tensions with the third reich. the images of the fire circle the globe faster than air, and the moebiants still suspect devious sabotage aimed at thwarting the spread of their very own mode of transportation in the long term.
X
during the shooting of the music video *cantabile* by the berlin-based duo kanajan raabenstein, an unintended cinematic sensation occurs – without the film crew noticing directly, floqs disguised as raindrops attack the window pane behind which the camera is capturing the weather play over the tempelhof airfield, for unknown reasons. from minute 2:30 of the take on, the extraterrestrials’ keen and steadily growing interest becomes apparent; in keeping with the shape of a mask, they seem to form smiley faces time and again, reaching its climax at the end of this exhilarating documentary.
XI
a day after the official premiere of the clip *cantabile* by kanajan raabenstein, the audiovisual answer of the moebiants appears on that very video portal. the technical finesse of how the swarm beings sneak into the musical archive of producer martin eugen raabenstein in order to stumble upon an unreleased track there and juxtapose it as a counterpart to the freshly released video is breathtaking. dedicating this implementation of theirs as a homage to the japanese multimedia artist yayoi kusama, who has just passed away, shows us in a uniquely fascinating way how the world’s happenings are interpreted in their spirit, and this analysis is immediately broadcasted back into the planetary ether.
XII
while a certain segment of experts preferentially turns to the form and functioning of floq balloon design, another group is interested in their mythical 3d printers and their technological secrets. under the not entirely dismissible assumption that the term *printer* itself could well be based on a translation error, photographer isabell simon stumbles upon an apparatus one winter morning whose mission unintentionally reveals itself through an unexpected cold snap, but whose exact procedural strategy is not yet willing to disclose itself.
to be
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