Exploring Visions and Visualisations of Outer Space in Science, Sci-Fi Film and Space Art
When you look up at the night sky, do you see Sci-Fi Space Pierrots, Killer Klowns and cosmic Jellyfish from outer space?
Welcome to FAR OUT! – Popsicule’s stream of research and public events examining the communication and imaginary of science in sci-fi film and the cultural ideas it generates in performance art. What kind of cultural work does the space scientist do in cultural contexts (for example in the form of comic science aliens or female astronauts)? What scientists, and based on what characteristics, have produced non-threatening, positive cultural fantasies? What do camp and clown-space scientists look like? What can we learn from comic space science, whether funny or not, about science? What influence can space exploration and science as portrayed in comics and animated film (etc.) have on science? And how can environmentally-themed space tropes and figures of thought in art and pop culture transfer moral questions of climate justice and climate awareness to new environments?
Discover this Popsicule stream and stay tuned for our next events, projects and Popsicularities!
Outer Space & Pop Culture
We regularly contribute to a book series that provides detailed insights into how space and popular culture intersect across a broad spectrum of examples, including cinema, music, art, arcade games, cartoons, comics, and advertisements. This is a pertinent topic since the use of space themes differs in different cultural contexts, and these themes can be used to explore various aspects of the human condition and provide a context for social commentary on politically sensitive issues.
Space, Environmental Art and Pop Culture
Given our growing awareness that we need to protect our planet from anthropogenic climate change, it is time to ask how the manifold connections between cultural fantasies of outer space and Earthly environments (and their cultural ideas) can be defined and interpreted; where do human experiences of both environments intersect and how are they explored in popular culture and art? For example, what do submarine creatures in space teach us about our experiences, cultural ideas and possible futures regarding earthly and cosmic worlds? What can we learn from jellyfish from outer space – as a leading metaphor of environmental thinking and cultural experiment – in terms of environmental awareness and a re-consideration of human-nature-relations?
FAR OUT EVENTS
Discover our public events exploring the communication and imaginaries of science in sci-fi film and the cultural ideas it generates in different media and mediums.
Do you have an idea for a Space & Pop Culture project? Get in touch with us!
