Introducing our upcoming Space & Art Masterclass! Over 5 weeks, Nahum, KOSMICA’s Director, will lead you on a journey to explore how artists have influenced space travel. You'll learn the tools they've employed to envision our futures in space. Plus, Nahum will provide hands-on guidance as you develop your own space and art project.
You will learn how artists from various disciplines and across history envisioned humanity's journey beyond Earth. Even before space travel was possible, artists were already creating the artworks that inspired both scientists and engineers to make 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 Cosmos.
The masterclass is designed to equip you with the theory and practical aspects of space and art projects. You will gain deep insight into the historical relationship between art, culture, and space 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.
For more than a decade, Nahum 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. With his experience, you will be supported in conceiving and producing your own space and art project. He will present the different strategies you can use to access the international space community, use space technologies, and collaborate with scientists, engineers, astronauts, and space organisations.
At KOSMICA we believe that artists and creatives can directly contribute to developing new visions that will revolutionize space travel with kindness, compassion, and creativity, as well as exploring new ways to connect and experience the Cosmos.
Information
_Mondays: 16 Oct, 23 Oct, 30 Oct, 6 Nov & 13 Nov
_Time: 5pm CET / 10am CDMX
_Duration: 1.5 hours each session
_Language: English
Booking
Early bird tickets until 20th September: €150 / $160 USD
Ticket price: €200 / $216 USD
GOALS
_Gain insights and comprehend the historical connections between culture and our understanding of the universe.
_Grasp the modern importance of artists and cultural practitioners' involvement in space activities.
_Cultivate a critical and artistic approach to crafting space and art projects.
_Acquire the skills to collaborate effectively with space organisations.
Commitment
Participants are expected to attend all 5 sessions, each lasting 1.5 hours. The course will involve assignments such as reading articles and viewing films and videos, which will be collectively discussed during the sessions. Additionally, every participant will work on an individual project throughout the course. This project can take the form of a completed artwork in any medium, a prototype, an original written piece, or a research paper. These projects will be shared at the conclusion 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
SPACE AND ART
_Taxonomy of space and art in modern times
_Eras of space and art
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 SOUND AND MUSIC
_The role of sound in understanding the cosmos
_Pop culture and space
_Afrofuturism
SPACE & ART PROJECT DESIGN
_Ways to access the space community
_Types of collaboration
_Conceptualising, producing and funding projects
_Space mission design for artistic purposes
Nahum will share with you ways to collaborate with space organisations to produce your own space and arts projects
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.