Scientists have reached an understanding that Mars hasn’t always been the cold, desolate planet that it is today. Rather, it previously had a warmer climate and a much denser atmosphere, protecting its environment and maintaining the liquid form of water. Currently we are in a circumstance of ecological collapse on planet Earth, and humanity’s vision to terraform Mars to its once habitable state is reckoned to be a potential opportunity for salvation. However, although humanity’s attraction to the red planet has become increasingly attainable through the rise of technology and scientific advancement, how we utilise our advances for planetary augmentation of Mars is a process that remains controversial.
Through video, sculpture and installation, I aim to discuss and problematize the methods of potentially terraforming our planetary neighbour as a speculative project, whilst expressing my concerns about the politics which are advocating a move to Mars in the near future. To achieve this I utilise the genre of science-fiction to form a critique on the ecological and social commons of Mars as the technology employed by existing space agencies may not just be commercialised, but also weaponised.
I often show this through revitalising found, domestic objects into futuristic props, or ‘space furniture.’ This process allows me to create fictional environments that remain somewhat familiar to the viewer through their modest, make-shift aesthetic; lending the work an ironic element of mundanity. The embedding of this intentional familiarity is to hopefully spark a sense of recognition, grounding the audience to their current situation on Earth. Although the intention behind my practice is serious in the hope of creating an intervention/awareness in society, I want to exhibit my concern through a satirical and more implicit lens that remains ambiguous and open to interpretation.
