‘mars: adrift on the hourglass sea’ by kahnselesnick

to acknowledge curiosity’s touchdown on the red planet, NASA commissioned the anglo-american duo known as kahnselesnick to create a series of work, entitled ‘mars: adrift on the hourglass sea’, representing their vision of existence on mars. the artists adorned photo-mosaic panoramas provided to them by NASA of earlier expeditions by rovers ‘spirit’ and ‘opportunity’ with fantasy and imagination, infusing phantasmagorical elements of science fiction and the surreal.

the dream-like scenarios include specially created sculptures and installations, and deliberately features solely women, as nicholas kahn of kahnselesnick explains: 

‘I think earth wouldn’t be on its path toward destruction if it was run by women, so we decided to give mars a little hope by sending two women up who wouldn’t necessarily see conquering and seizing all of its minerals as a main thing.’

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick

NASA commissions surreal mars photographs by kahnselesnick