'Life Goes On' will indeed go on to live on the Moon in perpetuity
My painting ‘Life Goes On’ (oil on board, 25 x 25 cm) is one of the award-winning artworks of the 16th International Art Renewal Center Salon, which is the leading proponent of contemporary realism in art. Apart from being very excited to receive this prestigious accolade, I am also very pleased to share that as an award winner, my work was selected to be part of a grandiose project - The Lunar Codex. This is the dream project of the physicist and founder Samuel Peralta, contributing to an archived collection of art, writing, music and film, that will be placed on the Moon permanently.
The project
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), through the Artemis Program, envisage to have humans back on the Moon in the coming couple of years – and this will be for the first time after five decades. Integral to this plan, are a number of missions which would include the time capsules that make up The Lunar Codex.
So, next year, my work will be on its way to the Moon! Forming part of the Polaris Collection, a number of artworks will be preserved using NanoFicheTM technology, and will be sent to the lunar South Pole, as a time capsule that will eventually live on the Moon in perpetuity. As Peralta himself stated, "Our hope is that future travellers who find these time capsules will discover some of the richness of our world today. It speaks to the idea that, despite wars and pandemics and climate upheaval, humankind found time to dream, time to create art.”
This is an exciting project of many firsts. "Significantly, it is the first project to launch the works of women artists to the lunar surface. It includes numerous other firsts, including being the first project, to our knowledge, to place contemporary film and music on the Moon" (source). On a personal note, it is definitely a first on many levels, both as a career milestone and also as a Maltese artist.
Later next year, the launch will be live-streamed. The works will be delivered via SpaceX Falcon Heavy, followed by the Astrobotic Griffin Lander and then via the NASA VIPER Rover, to finally have the works placed at their final destination. This will be the new home of many cultural items from today’s world which will be preserved and archived for many years to come, for future generations to enjoy and to discover more about their predecessors.
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