Two English artists from Bristol recently unveiled a strange house that could be ours if we lived on Mars. The hidden message behind this work? To create awareness amongst the general public by inviting them to think about the limited resources we have on earth.
The idea of exploring Mars and making it habitable as a sort of escape plan from Earth to preserve the human species has long been the subject of science fiction scenarios, but there are more serious efforts. In fact, millions of dollars have been invested in exploration of the Red Planet, with a view to developing space tourism, or even settling there someday in case Earth becomes uninhabitable. It is a hypothesis that has given Mars the nickname “Planet B”… and it has inspired the work of two English artists, Ella Good and Nicky Kent, from Bristol.
In partnership with British firm Hugh Broughton Architects and design studio Pierce+, the artists created an inflatable house, made entirely from recycled materials. The work was designed as part of the public art project “Building a Martian House,” which explores how people would live on Mars. His installation was on display for more than two months at the Dock in downtown Bristol, where passersby were invited to participate in the rendering of this strange capsule structure with orange-pink walls; Inside one looks at gardening hoses and plants – herbs, for example.
Behind the house is seven years of work and collaboration with the scientists, architects, engineers and designers. The structure is powered by solar panels and is designed to be able to withstand the environmental challenges encountered on Mars, such as temperatures of -63 °C and exposure to radiation. Covered with a golden roof made of aluminum sheets and constructed from a pair of old shipping containers, this artistic creation is filled with everyday objects, designed with great care and sometimes with surprising details: a pillow, For example, lavender is filled with and mustard seeds and natural, plant-based dyes were used to create color on textiles.
But, far from standing as a promise of a peaceful future existence, this “home” invites us to conversely reflect on the limited resources we would have had if we lived on Mars. As Ella Good and Nikki Kent explain the London-based design, “The project uses the landscape of going to Mars as a lens to reflect on our life on Earth – it asks how we live now and how we How do you want to live in the future? and the architecture magazine Dezeen.
A hidden message, unlike a satirical advertisement aired by the environmental movement “Fridays for the Future” in February 2021, is not intended to condemn space programs centered on Mars and the space programs funded by the governments of many of the world’s countries. (including the Perseverance rover with the United States, the United Arab Emirates and their Hope probe, China and the Tianwen-1 orbiter), as well as the greatest fortunes on the planet (including) Elon Musk with SpaceX). “The government-funded space program and the ultra-wealthy 1% of the world have lasers focused on Mars (NASA’s Perseverance rover cost $2.7 billion for development, launch, operation and analysis alone) – and yet, most humans Will never get the chance to travel or live on Mars. It’s not because of a lack of resources – but the fact that our global system doesn’t care about us – and refusal to take equitable action. With % of the population living on Earth, it is imperative that we fix the climate change that is destroying our home planet. We better fix climate change now. We have no choice,” video said in a statement by the organization upon release.
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