Artist Explores A Journey to Mars

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A view of SPACE PROGRAM: MARS mission control room (Credits: Tom Sachs).

Artist Tom Sach’s display SPACE PROGRAM: MARS is in the midst of a four week run at the Park Avenue Armory drill hall in New York City. The display includes artistic spacecraft, surface rovers, mission control, launch platforms, and a Mars landscape. Sachs and his team of thirteen perform mission-related tasks throughout the display, with titles such as “Space Camp,” “Rover Deployment, “Red Beans and Rice Preparation,” and “Suiting Protocol.” The program is supposed to include everything needed for survival, colonization, and exploration  of an extraterrestrial planet. “For SPACE PROGRAM: MARS, Tom Sachs has produced elaborate instruments of space travel out of found materials, and will create a dynamic interplay among astronauts,” said Armory Consulting Artistic Director Kristy Edmunds. “He is thus simulating all aspects of the iconic experience,” she continued,” The work is both humorous and serious, giving viewers insight into the challenges of space travel, but also leaving us to ponder our place in the universe.”

The display follows a 2007 performance by Sachs entitled SPACE PROGRAM which reimagined the first lunar landing.

Watch a trailer for SPACE PROGRAM: MARS below:

 

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Merryl Azriel

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Having wandered into professional writing and editing after a decade in engineering, science, and management, Merryl now enjoys reintegrating the dichotomy by bringing space technology and policy within reach of an interested public. After three years as Space Safety Magazine’s Managing Editor, Merryl semi-retired to Visiting Contributor and manager of the campaign to bring the International Space Station collaboration to the attention of the Nobel Peace Prize committee. She keeps her pencil sharp as Proposal Manager for U.S. government contractor CSRA.

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