Mia Kara Numbers Station is a modern reinterpretation of the espionage tool known as numbers stations, and it was featured in an exhibition at LAXART in Los Angeles in early 2007. Historically, numbers stations have been mysterious shortwave radio broadcasts, used primarily during the Cold War. These broadcasts, consisting of sequences of spoken numbers, tones, and sometimes snippets of folk songs, are believed to have served as covert communication methods for governments sending encrypted messages to spies in foreign countries. The use of these stations peaked during the Cold War but intriguingly continued even after the Soviet Union’s collapse.

The Mia Kara Numbers Station integrates these traditional elements but introduces Esperanto, an artificial language developed in the late 19th century with the idealistic goal of fostering global understanding and peace. By using Esperanto, the broadcast both mimics the cryptic nature of traditional numbers stations and aligns it with utopian aspirations, suggesting a blend of historical espionage techniques with forward-looking idealism.

The original broadcast emanated from a shortwave transmitter in rural France over two months, January and February 2007. Although it outwardly resembled the state-sponsored broadcasts of the past, its content subtly subverted them, suggesting new possibilities for such communications, beyond mere espionage. This raises intriguing questions about the intended receivers of such messages and the broader implications of using an international language like Esperanto in contexts traditionally dominated by secrecy and intrigue.