Space + Art

This week’s guest lecturer Richelle Gribble talked to us about the interconnection between art and space through art in space. Fascinated by the topic, I took the time to look into different artists and artworks in space after the lecture. An artist that caught my eye, in particular, is Nahum. 

Nahum is a Mexican artist that argues for the inclusion of artists in the conversation about how we explore space. According to Nahum, Artists have different skills and ways of understanding our world, and therefore they can only enrich the conversation (Maldonado). 

In 2018, Nahum launched his project "The Contour of Presence." This was an interactive sculpture into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, bound for the International Space Station. Back on Earth, Nahum designed and orchestrated performances that allowed the audience to interact with the sculpture on the ISS, bringing the audience on Earth closer to space (“Meet Nahum: Space Artist”), and serving as an intermediary between space and the general public. The work expresses the interconnectedness of all things on a cosmic scale but also here on Earth; the “interpretation of the unknown as part of what we don’t see but what is inevitably part of the totality of our existence” (“Meet Nahum: Space Artist”).

The Contour of Presence

Launching of SpaceX Falcon 9

Gribble mentioned planetary connectivity– the idea that we are living in a web of life, and all organisms and communities are interconnected, with each ecosystem serving one another. Perhaps understanding space travel and the boundlessness of creativity gives rise to much deeper and fundamental questions about who we are, who we want to become, and ultimately, what the meaning of life is (Vesna).

Nahum founded the KOSMICA Institute in 2011– a space organization that develops initiatives that bridge the arts, humanities, the space sector, and the wider society. They encourage critical, cultural, and poetic discourse on our relationship with outer space, space exploration, and the impact of these activities on Earth (“About Us”). In week 1, we discussed the idea of technology providing us with a promising third culture to bridge the art and sciences. This organization perfectly demonstrates the importance of active communication and collaboration between the two cultures by bringing together experts across disciplines with the common goal of exploring and understanding the cultural impact of space exploration and the future of humanity. 

KOSMICA artists, astronauts, and photographers

References

“About Us.” KOSMICA. Web. https://www.kosmicainstitute.com/

Digital Image. KOSMICA. https://www.kosmicainstitute.com/about-us

Gribble, Richelle. “Richelle Gribble.” CoLE DESMA 9. 24 May. 2021. Lecture.

“Launch of a Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket.” Makery. 3 July. 2018. Digital Image. www.makery.info/en/2018/07/03/cest-officiel-jai-une-oeuvre-dart-dans-lespace/

Maldonado, Devon. The artworks floating above the Earth. BBC. 14 December. 2018. Web. www.bbc.com/culture/article/20181214-the-artworks-floating-above-the-earth

“Meet Nahum: Space Artist.” Innovation Days. 24 February. 2021. Web. https://www.innovationdays.co/introducing-nahum-space-artist/

“Nahum’s work The Contour of Presence was launched from Cape Canaveral.” BBC. 14 December. 2018. Digital Image. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20181214-the-artworks-floating-above-the-earth

Vesna, Victoria. “8 space pt1.” CoLE DESMA 9. 30 July. 2013. Web.