Panel Statement

Current private space activities are influencing the global priorities and attitudes of the public sector. This shift in opportunity, focus and possibility is explored in depth to ask how can we as an international community of artists, thinkers and designers embark on a truly trans-disciplinary response to this new frontier of exploration and mutual discovery? International curators and artists will present a range of exemplary space-related arts initiatives including: showcase projects by the European Space Agency (ESA) topical team Arts & Science members and visions for the ESA Arts initiative; the NASA Art Project; 15 new artworks commissioned for the Moon on-board a Lunar Lander mission 2014 by The Moon Art Project, as initiated by the Carnegie-Mellon University, Studio for Creative Inquiry; a message from the artist-commander leading the current NASA HI-SEAS Mars Simulation; presentations of contemporary Australian space arts activities; and review the historical context from which this work builds. It is our intention to demonstrate that prior activities, artefacts and aesthetics resulting from space-related artist access and interactions with space assets are significant. We see an opportunity to reference a rich and varied history of artists working with satellite utilisation, human space flight, exploration, and other space-related research from the lab to the sea, for the purpose of inspiring, provoking and leading open discussions which shall champion the inclusion of the arts as another and vital means of reflecting Australia’s 2011 Principals for a National Industry Space Policy. In April 2013, the Federal Government announced Australian first national space policy: Australia’s Satellite Utilisation Policy. The document v1.1.2013 provides a vision to develop Australian space expertise, provide funding for the ongoing research into satellite systems, develop infrastructure to meet the projected growth in Australian demand for satellite data, and provide input to international space law. Is it really too soon to be designing an interplanetary symposium on electronic arts?

• Sarah Jane Pell is an artist, researcher, public speaker and author. She is also an ADAS Occupational Diver with over 500 hours commercial dives logged – spent mostly in zero visibility imagining she was on an artist-in-space residency. Sarah established the ARTi Aquabatics Research Team initiative in 2002 as an interdisciplinary platform to explore long-duration human-underwater interactions with the intention to devise novel human-factors feedback and bio-tech-aquatic technologies for human-ocean and space exploration, and inspire new forms of art. Her artworks explore the body, psyche and the depths of interactions with the natural world – usually underwater. Pieces such as ‘Hydrophilia’ and ‘Undercurrent’ directly reference her diving and experience in extreme environments, with interwoven ideas of speculative fiction and Da Vinci-inspired technologies such as a dual re-breather of ‘Interdepend’ and the improbable life-support system of ‘Odyssey’ in live laboratory-style installations and durational performances echoing space analogue themes. Pell graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Art (Drawing) at the Victorian College of the Arts. She holds a Masters in Human Performance and PhD proposing ‘Aquabatics as new works of Live Art’ awarded Best PhD (Art & Science) by Leonardo LABS, MIT 2006. She is also a graduate of the Singularity University and the first artist alumna of the International Space University. Dr. Pell is currently appointed to the Standards Australia Committee SF-017 Occupational Diving; Co-Chair of the European Space Agency Topical Team Arts; and RMIT University Visiting Research Fellow. Dr. Pell is Official Crew (Aquanaut & Expedition Artist) of the Atlantica Expeditions Undersea Habitat Mission and a TED Fellow. sarahjanepell.com