Principle 0001 :: Combining the disciplines

Interdisciplinary collaboration unites the ideas of the artist with the demands of scientific disciplines. The process calls for communication and the transfer of knowledge. This includes the artist acquiring technical vocabulary and addressing the urgent, scientific research questions. The converse is also of importance. Scientists and engineers have to be familiar with contemporary art practices and artworks.

Principle 0002 :: The artwork is the joint goal

The distinct goal is the development of a flight-qualified artwork, which will be used as a psychological counter measure by the astronaut on interplanetary missions. This objective will bind all disciplines into a communicative working process: the artist, the scientist, the engineer, the architect, the spacefarer and the space agency. In order to design an effective work of art interdisciplinary collaboration is needed!

Principle 0003 :: Works of art are turned into a scientific experiment

From the scientific perspective each artwork fulfils a specific purpose. This particular value has to be implemented. For this reason, every artwork on extended crewed missions will follow a utilitarian need. This need will become visible and traceable. Thus, the artwork becomes a scientific procedure.

Principle 0004 :: Artists bear responsibility

Works of art on extended crewed missions can be interpreted differently. The understanding corresponds with earthly and exploratory experiences of the space traveler. It needs mindfulness and can change over the journey. This play of appearances asks for both the attentive view of the world in which the space traveler lives and the artistic work. Artists have to be aware of it and bear, therefore, responsibility.

Principle 0005 :: Analogoue environments

One of the limitations of artistic practice for interplanetary missions lies in the fact that the Mars exploration is a future project. It will happen at a place which artist will most likely not visit. The artist thus loses an important criterion of understanding. It will be necessary to find a replacement, as each work of art accompanying human spaceflights will pass numerous tests according to its beneficial purpose, its material and functionality, before being certified as flight-qualified. Thus the use of analogous environments is recommended.

Principle 0006 :: Creative use of limitations

Like all onboard equipment, design and material selection of the artwork should follow the safety requirements of the space agencies. These include specifications such as psychological supportiveness, simplicity in operation, safety, maintenance and repair. All these conditions have to be reflected upon by the artist. Quite likely they will influence the artistic process and become visible in the artwork itself. The challenge for the artist will be to identify artistic autonomy within the given limits.