For the first time, KOSMICA director and artist Nahum will give a masterclass on space and art. For more than a decade, he has worked extensively with space agencies around the world, conducting space missions for artistic purposes, including zero gravity flights and the installation of the first interactive artwork in the International Space Station.
Nahum will show you how artists from various disciplines envisioned humanity's journey beyond Earth even before space travel was possible. These cultural works inspired both scientists and engineers who made space travel possible. The aim of this masterclass is to highlight the importance of these types of artworks and to develop new ideas for humanity's future in the universe. Nahum believes that artists and creatives can directly contribute to developing new visions that will revolutionise space travel and find new ways to relate to the universe we live in.
In the masterclass you will navigate through the theory and practical aspects of space and art projects. You will gain a deep insight into the historical relationship between art, culture and the cosmos throughout history. From the early cultural expressions that have shaped our understanding of the universe in cultures around the world, to contemporary approaches to space and art.
Finally, you will also learn how to conceive and produce your own space and art projects. Nahum will present the different strategies you can use to access the international space community to develop your own projects in collaboration with scientists, engineers, astronauts and space organisations.
Information
- Every Wednesday in August
(3rd, 10th, 17th, 24nd & 31st)
- Time: 5pm CET / 10am CDMX
- Duration: 1.5 hours each session
- 5 virtual sessions
- Language: English
Booking
Ticket price: €200 / $210 USD
GOALS
- To reflect and understand the historical relationships between culture and the discovery of the universe.
- Learn the contemporary significance of the engagement of artists and cultural practitioners in space.
- Develop a critical and poetic approach to the design of space and art projects.
- Learn how to collaborate with space organisations.
Commitment
Participants should commit to attending 5 sessions of 1.5 hours each. Some of the assignments will include reading articles and watching films and video works that will be discussed together in the sessions. Each participant will develop an individual project during the course. This project may be a finished work of art in any medium, a prototype, an original text, or a research paper that will be available at the end of the masterclass.
The MASTERCLASS includes
- 5 sessions with Nahum
- Bibliography, links, videos, films and downloadable materials
Learn how artists have had a direct impact in space activities throughout history
Course Syllabus
THE ORIGINS
- Cosmic cultural expressions around the world.
- First cultural understandings of humanity’s connection to the cosmos.
BEFORE SPACE TRAVEL
- Visions and artworks before Sputnik.
- Early conceptions of space travel by artists.
SPACE CULTURE
- Works of art created after Sputnik.
- The influence of the space age on art and culture
CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES TO SPACE ACTIVITIES
- Contemporary production of space and art projects
- Critical perspectives on space activities
- Design your own space and art project
SPACE & ART PROJECT DESIGN
- Ways to access the space community
- Types of collaboration
- Conceptualising, producing and funding projects
Nahum will share with you ways to collaborate with space organisations to produce your own space and arts projects
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MEET THE INSTRUCTOR
Nahum's oeuvre goes deep into the human experience, challenging our perceptions through unusual perspectives. He produces works that reframe the way we engage with the universe with a wide range of media. He founded the KOSMICA Institute, a space organisation focused on the cultural discourses of space activities and their impact on Earth. Nahum's work has been exhibited in countries such as the USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Germany, UK, France, Sweden, Russia, Australia, Taiwan, China, Japan and Brazil.
Nahum was chairman of the Committee for the Cultural Utilisation of Space (ITACCUS) at the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) in Paris. He was the first artist to be awarded the Young Space Leader in 2014 and the Karman Fellowship in 2021 for his unique cultural contributions to astronautics and space exploration. He has designed space missions for artistic purposes with the European Space Agency, SpaceX, NASA and Roscosmos.
In 2011, Nahum founded the KOSMICA Institute, a space organisation with a mission to create a platform for critical, cultural, and poetic discourse about our relationship to the Universe, space activities, and their impact on Earth. The Institute develops initiatives that bridge the arts and humanities, the space sector and the broader society.