With a desire to discover a neutral realm, my exploration of the moon led me to conceive this artwork. Delving into research that unveiled a multitude of space treaties and "lunar claimants," it became clear that the moon is far from devoid of territorial assertions. Instead, it mirrors the familiar patterns of violent appropriation found on Earth, a stark contrast to the utopian allure of the moon as a realm of mystic otherness.
In response, I chose a medium often employed in terrestrial border disputes to assert one's dominion: counterfeit artifacts meticulously engineered to thwart the radiocarbon dating techniques central to archaeological analysis. Guided by this concept, I constructed an imagined exhibition scenario set around the year 2300. This fictional presentation centers on the categorization and the fraught endeavor of dating lunar artifacts attributed to various entities vying for control of the moon.The central thrust of my work materializes through a deliberate juxtaposition—incorporating graffiti-like interventions. These interventions, akin to rebellious inscriptions, are superimposed onto the artifacts by hypothetical lunar denizens. In this act, they defy the constrictive frameworks established by lunar governing bodies and private space enterprises, critically engaging with the claims of individual lunar stakeholders.
Crucially, the milieu in which I present these adorned artifacts is ingeniously reimagined by an NGO named Moon-Undi (Moon Undivided). This carefully crafted setting encapsulates a moment of ongoing struggle to ascertain the politically nuanced perspective on these unfolding events. However, this very setting is inextricably enmeshed in the complex narrative it seeks to elucidate—a manifestation of the intricate dance between perspective and entanglement.
Through this artistic endeavor, I engage with the paradoxical tension between the moon's enigmatic mystique and the disconcerting echoes of human territorial tendencies it currently echoes. My work converges at the nexus of history, speculative projection, and artistic commentary, inviting viewers to contemplate the far-reaching implications of our terrestrial inclinations as they reverberate across the lunar expanse.
