On the eve of 'Space Exploration - A Global Societal Project', 7-9 November 2007 in Berlin, a special presentation shows why artists, as important opinion formers in society, should be part of the whole picture of exploration.

The exhibition is curated by The Arts Catalyst and presented in collaboration with the European Space Agency and Transmediale, the Berlin-based festival for art and digital culture.

The potential cultural dimension of the European Space Agency's exploration activities is shown here in a group of projects specially devised to accompany Europe's activities in space, collaborating with the European astronauts on the International Space Station, highlighting Europe's ground-based space facilities such as microgravity facilities, mission control and launch sites, and looking towards the future of moon and Mars missions. The projects are designed to have a high profile in the European media and also to show how the world of the arts is engaging seriously with space issues.

Simon Faithfull, Escape Vehicle No. 6, digital video (still)

Tomas Saraceno (Italy/Argentina)
Microscale, Macroscale and Beyond

Tomas Saraceno’s long-term vision is to create a floating utopia above the earth in order to solve the world's population problem. A rising star in the international arts world with recent major exhibitions at the Barbican Centre in London and the Sharjah Biennale, Saraceno’s work draws on physics, chemistry and engineering, as well as more traditional artistic disciplines, to explore ideas for the future. Saraceno will make a new floating sculpture especially for this event, comprising 32 helium filled modules made from transparent and iridescent materials, suggesting both future living modules in space and the idea of weightless art in orbit. The sculpture will be fitted with a propeller and wireless camera transmitting to a screen. The audience can manoeuvre the sculpture around the open spaces of the axica building via remote control. He will also show drawings of his ideas for living in the sky. The artist's utopian visions of floating cities point to a future for humankind in space.

Tomas Saraceno, Air-Port-City maquette (2007), Sharjah Biennale

Marko Peljhan (Slovenia)
Prozrachny Mir - LADSAT001 2007-2017 an Interpolar Transnational Art Science Constellation initiative presented by Marko Peljhan

The PROZRACHNY MIR - LADSAT001 EOS and S/F COM microsat constellation is envisioned as an open protocol earth observation network and store and forward communications system to support the I-TASC ground infrastructure and research. PROJEKT ATOL/PACT SYSTEMS has been working in the acquisition and exploitation of the remote sensing and comsat fields since the start of the Makrolab project in 1997 and has developed several projects dealing with the aesthetic, political and scientific implications connected to orbital access, access to space platform derived data and the socio-political and psychic mapping of the satellite communications and broadcasting worlds and currently works with Polyot OMSK and Scanex Corp. engineers on the implementation of the LADSAT missions. I-TASC is a decentralised network of individuals and organisations working collaboratively in the fields of art, engineering, science and technology on the interdisciplinary development and tactical deployment of renewable energy, waste recycling systems, sustainable architecture and open-format, open-source media. I-TASC is a lichen-like structure sharing and integrating local knowledge, resources and skills across six continents in order to symbiotically engage with the air, ocean, earth and space commons. The LADSAT001 and LADSAT002 will be launched in the 2009-2012 period to support the I-TASC art/science research labs in the Arctic and Antarctic. Marko Peljhan’s work has been presented at major international exhibitions and biennales. In 2000, he received the special Medienkunst prize at the ZKM and in 2001 the Golden Nica Prix Ars Electronica with Carsten Nicolai. Peljhan’s projects shows how artists can become directly involved in satellite engineering and space launches in highly imaginative and ambitious ways and throws a light on the benefits of space activities to pressing problems on earth.

(above) Jan Trost, Nejc Trost and Marko Peljhan LADOMIR Antarctic Base, First Design Milestone, 2006 (below) Marko Peljhan, LADSAT orbit determination visualisation (model Terra)

Ansuman Biswas and Jem Finer (UK)
Wave Particle (video)
An extraordinary film made in parabolic ‘zero gravity’ flight with a tank of glycerin, water and oil, and a box of Chinese health balls. The alternation between heaviness and weightlessness in parabolic flight has astonishing effects on objects, water and oil, shown exquisitely in this work. Commissioned by The Arts Catalyst using facilities at Star City, Russia.

Ayoko Ono (Japan)
Moon Zen Garden (video)
Ayoko Ono will show a presentation of her idea for a zen garden on the moon, shaped by moon rovers.

Tim Otto Roth (Germany)
Cosmic Flash (video)
Commissioned video of Roth’s proposal for the International Space Station (ISS). Using a joystick tool, a member of the ESA astronaut corps on the ISS will record when they have an experience of a cosmic flash, caused by cosmic rays coming from sunflares or supernovas. This would trigger a large flash from a European iconic building, such as the Eiffel Tower and potentially on the screens of subscribed mobile phone users.

Kitsou Dubois (France)
Inversion 1 (video)
Documentation of her choreographic work in zero gravity, which has been performed in ESA parabolic flights.

Agnes Meyer-Brandis (Germany)
Video documentation of her project in parabolic flight with DLR.

Simon Faithfull (UK)
Escape Vehicle No 6 (video)
Video of his launch of a chair into space. Commissioned by The Arts Catalyst.

Liuccia Buzzoni (Italy)
Colours in Space
The experiment "Colours in Space" consists of an astronaut's personal build-up of a coloured scene using non-representational, painted transparent films super imposable amongst themselves with the aim to identify the most favourable impression, from a personal point of feeling. Because of its scientific value Liuccia's project was one of the experiments proposed and selected by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) in the category of "scientific experiment" for the current mission STS-120/Esperia with Paolo Nespoli. In fact the project has a strong value in the field of arts and science since it aims on the use of colours for the well being of astronauts on long-term space journeys. Liuccia's motivation goes nevertheless further than just utilitarian art, she is convinced of mankind’s mission to carry life further beyond Earth.

Organisers
The exhibition is commissioned by the European Space Agency and curated by The Arts Catalyst, in collaboration with Transmediale, the Berlin-based festival for art and digital culture.