Satellite Chandelier
Barcelona, 2023
After a hard-fought space race, the Outer Space Treaty was signed in 1967, a global governance agreement on the exploration and use of Earth's orbits, as well as the moon and other celestial bodies, which forms the basis of international law on outer space and guarantees the peaceful and supportive use of it.
Since then this romantic view of Space has changed completely. The number of commercial satellites in low Earth orbit has doubled since 2019 as a result of the emergence of mega-constellations of commercial services such as StarLink. Entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have embarked on a race to get a share of space, driven by the good prospects of an industry that is generating a lot of commercial interest.
Geopolitical, economic, and environmental interests confront governments, multinationals, and other organizations, focusing their gaze on space while citizens are relegated to the background due to the inaccessibility of this place of dispute. The project seeks to draw attention to this new spatial condition.
The intervention takes the shape of a 5-meter diameter satellite weighing 180 kg covered by mirrors on one side developing a lighting structure for the Disseny Hub Barcelona's foyer digging into the contemporary techno-geopolitics of Space.
Since then this romantic view of Space has changed completely. The number of commercial satellites in low Earth orbit has doubled since 2019 as a result of the emergence of mega-constellations of commercial services such as StarLink. Entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have embarked on a race to get a share of space, driven by the good prospects of an industry that is generating a lot of commercial interest.
Geopolitical, economic, and environmental interests confront governments, multinationals, and other organizations, focusing their gaze on space while citizens are relegated to the background due to the inaccessibility of this place of dispute. The project seeks to draw attention to this new spatial condition.
The intervention takes the shape of a 5-meter diameter satellite weighing 180 kg covered by mirrors on one side developing a lighting structure for the Disseny Hub Barcelona's foyer digging into the contemporary techno-geopolitics of Space.
Architects:
TAKK, Mireia Luzárraga + Alejandro Muiño
Collaborators:
Roger Monfort, Berta Ribaudí, Ona Boscht, Clelia Palumbo, Chloe Bou
Client:
Disseny Hub Barcelona
Artistic Direction:
José Luis de Vicente
Special thanks:
Ignasi Ribas, Research Institute of Space Sciences of Barcelona
Photo:
José Hevia
TAKK, Mireia Luzárraga + Alejandro Muiño
Collaborators:
Roger Monfort, Berta Ribaudí, Ona Boscht, Clelia Palumbo, Chloe Bou
Client:
Disseny Hub Barcelona
Artistic Direction:
José Luis de Vicente
Special thanks:
Ignasi Ribas, Research Institute of Space Sciences of Barcelona
Photo:
José Hevia
