michèle boulogne                                                                             
about
MINING THE SKY
Visual research project on a possible regretful future
2020

Mining the sky is a visual enquiry into the future of asteroid mining and, more generally, mineral extraction in space. The work is composed of several mental maps that examine the politics of the outer space land, against the backdrop of the possible repercussions on the social, and political relations of future space miners.

Through notes and archival imagery, the artist addresses broader global concerns about the private monopoly of common resources shaped by gravity and the vastness of space, asking:
how do politics of land do, and will, shape social inequalities? Using analogue contexts of exploitations and discoveries on Earth, Mining the Sky introduces several readings of the stakes of an industry showing a diversity of unanswered questions.  Whether in astronomy, law, design, fictional narrative, representation, economy or diplomacy.
The maps aim to draw spaces for various human and democratic initiatives in the face of the challenge of the new mega-mining industry.

next project →