Terraforming Public [outer] Space
Collective sculpture and society building thought experiment.
Presented at Spaceness 2017, at Sou'Wester in Seaview, WA
Terraforming Public [outer] Space is a worldbuilding conversation and sculpture collectively formed out of terracotta clay in the shape of a small planet. The project uses the concept of terraforming, the hypothetical theory of changing the atmosphere of another planet to make it habitable for humans, as a metaphor for sculpting our own environment. Though the possibility of terraforming a planet is nearly zero, it serves as a thought experiment for what humanity might try to do if it "reset" on a new planet.
How do we build a world together? What are the essential ingredients? Who are the citizens and how does society care for them? Who makes the decisions? Who are the authors of utopia? Who is missing? Who makes the rules? Do concepts of class, race, and power exist on the new planet? Would we remember the mistakes we've made? Can utopia account for the myriad of diverse backgrounds and differences of opinion in the world?
