Kryptos

Kryptos
ArtistJim Sanborn
Year1990
Dimensions11–12 feet (3.4–3.7 m) × 20 feet (6.1 m)
LocationGeorge Bush Center for Intelligence, Langley, Virginia, U.S.
Coordinates38°57′08″N 77°08′45″W / 38.95227°N 77.14573°W / 38.95227; -77.14573

Kryptos is a sculpture by the American artist Jim Sanborn located on the grounds of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters, the George Bush Center for Intelligence in Langley, Virginia.

Since its dedication on November 3, 1990, there has been much speculation about the meaning of the four encrypted messages it bears. Of these four messages, the first three have been solved, while the fourth message remains one of the most famous unsolved codes in the world. Artist Jim Sanborn has hinted that a fifth coded message will reveal itself after the first four are solved. The sculpture continues to be of interest to cryptanalysts, both amateur and professional, attempting to decode the fourth passage. The artist has so far given four clues to this passage.