»EARTH SEEN FROM SPACE«
WE COLONISED THE MOON — Hagen Betzwieser & Sue Corke (DE & UK)
The pictures of Earth taken by the Apollo crews between 1968 and 1972 are still widely regarded as “the most influential environmental photograph[s] ever taken” (Galen Rowell, wildlife photographer) and became icons of a new global consciousness.
Now, half a century later, we are entering a future where private space endeavors offer to make good the promise of public space travel, making the experience of looking back to Earth from space a realistic proposition for ordinary (albeit fantastically wealthy) citizens.
For all of us who (as yet) lack the funds to buy such a ticket, this spotless, glowing, super-economy LED light bulb is a temporary alternative. It is a simple but instructive simulation of how tiny we are, compared to the unknown unknown in which we float.
BIO
Sue and Hagen met by chance in 2008 at a bus stop whilst conducting artistic field work in Norway. Working for many years as WE COLONISED THE MOON, their graphic art and installation projects have embodied a range of DIY production techniques within a partnership rooted in absurdism, characterised by slogans and catchphrases.
Sue is a visual artist with an interest in the theatre of illustration. Hagen’s artistic practice as The Institute of General Theory explores the gaps and connections between art and science to create New New Media. Together, they seek to demonstrate that the future may indeed be frightening, but also highly entertaining.
Previous projects have included creating solutions for space waste by disguising satellites as asteroids; building a solar powered solarium because ‘the sun dies anyway’; and synthesising the smell of the moon.