How are we going to explore the Moon and Mars? What imaginaries have been created by artists to live away from our planetary home? Are humans a “space race”? During the conference, we will reflect on these questions by discussing our shared futures in space. With reference to the ambiguity and complexities of the English word “race”, we will examine the relationship of humans with the Moon and Mars as places of conflict and desire for the extension of our natural boundaries as one of Earth’s species.

The Space Race Conference will engage an interdisciplinary group of artists, thinkers and space professionals through the presentation of current positions concerning the future of humanity in other celestial bodies. With a mix of lectures, panel discussions and live performances, we will address the present and future challenges of human activities on Earth, the Moon and Mars.

This online conference is organised by SPARTH and the KOSMICA Institute in collaboration with the Archenhold-Sternwarte / Stiftung Planetarium Berlin. The project is part of the event series "The Sky was the Limit – Art and Astronomy at the Archenhold Observatory". Funded by Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa. The conference will be held in English.

Full Programme & Schedule: https://theskywasthelimit.de/en/program/sparth-kosmica-institute/

Registration is closed

VIDEO DOCUMENTATION

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/EL68ah2Q4Ws?si=CBbGEVHkQxS3whVS

SCHEDULE

Friday, 3 Dec 2021 Moon

17.45 Online Doors Open
18.00 – 18.10 Introduction: Thomas Heidtmann, SPARTH / Nahum, KOSMICA 
18.15 – 19.10 Keynote: Lukas Feireiss – “Memories of the Moon Age”
19.15 – 20.10 Panel Discussion: Rob La Frenais, Michaela Musilova, Natalie Treviño
20.15 – 20.55 Presentation: Moon Gallery Foundation – “The First Permanent Museum on the Moon”
21.00 – 21.30 Audiovisual Performance: Jemma Woolmore – “Of Fragile Things, Iteration II”
22.00 End Day I

Saturday, 4 Dec 2021 Mars

13.45 Online Doors Open
14.00 – 14.45 Presentation: Nonhuman Nonsense – “Planetary Personhood – A Universal Declaration of Martian Rights”
14.50 – 15.35 Presentation: Marcela Chao Ruiz – “From where do we conceptualize planet Mars (and what does that tell us about us earthlings)?”
15.40 – 16.20 Movies: KOSMICA Film – “Beyond The Deep Blue Sky” by Manuel Díaz
16.25 – 17.10 Presentation: Bernard Foing – “Our Global Village together on Earth, Moon and Mars”
17.15 – 18.10 Panel Discussion: Anna Rebecca Green, Marcela Chao Ruiz, Bernard Foing, Sabine Heinz
18.15 – 19.10 Keynote: Barbara Imhof – “Getting there, being there, staying there”
19.30 End Day II

Sunday, 5 Dec 2021 Futures/Beyond

13.45 Online Doors Open
14.00 – 14.45 Presentation: Michael Najjar – “outer space | Cultural implications of future space travel”
14.50 – 15.35 Presentation: Marie-Pier Boucher – “Space without Progress”
15.40 – 16.35 Keynote: Rob La Frenais – “Pushing The Envelope” 
16.40 – 17.55 Panel Discussion: Philipp Modersohn,  PPKK (Schönfeld & Scoufaras), Sophie-Therese Trenka-Dalton, Ute Waldhausen
18.00 – 18.30 Audiovisual Performance: Gilbert Sinnott (autr) – “Labours of the Month”
19.00 End Day III

Register here: bit.ly/3BYuqsB

SPARTH
Started in 2017, SPARTH is a Berlin-based initiative examining relationships between space and art, with activities across the globe and beyond. Its mission is to foster an environment for exchanging and stimulating new ideas. SPARTH develops events such as community meetings, hackathons and conferences to investigate the artistic, technological and biological implications for the human species in the ascending age of space travel and virtuality.

KOSMICA Institute
KOSMICA is a global institute founded in 2011 with the mission to create a space organisation for critical, cultural and poetic discourse on our relationship with outer space, space exploration and the impact of these activities on Earth. The Institute curates and produces original content, projects and programmes. KOSMICA’s activities bring together experts across disciplines to explore the cultural impact of space exploration, the future of humanity and the most urgent issues we are currently facing on our planet.

The Sky Was the Limit
Produced as part of the series “The Sky was the Limit – Art and Astronomy at the Archenhold Observatory”.
Artistic direction: Sophie-Therese Trenka-Dalton
Assistance: Nicola E. Petek

Archenhold-Sternwarte / Stiftung Planetarium Berlin
The Planetarium Berlin Foundation was founded in 2016 and unites Berlin's astronomical institutions for the first time in the city's history. The Archenhold Observatory is one of the most traditional public observatories in Germany. The houses of the foundation are modern bridges to the cosmos. As a joint institution, they are at the top of the international league in terms of technology and content, and are an essential part of Berlin's educational and cultural offerings.