From cave, to page, to canvas, to stage, to film, to virtual, to brain waves, to Space. Space is the new medium.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever dreamt of going to Space? Hold on to that feeling. Lift off! You’re there. On a private space station orbiting the planet or on your way to the Moon. What do you experience? What do you hear? What do you watch? What fills your soul? Because if we are what we eat, we are also the content we consume. Today, I’d like to talk about the evolution of the Arts in Space. Why I believe our future depends on it and what we do about it. Because a society that does not nurture its arts, cannot sustain its humanity. Not on earth, and not in space. I know… it sounds epic, poetic, ambitious, it is - all of it.
My name is Natasha Tsakos. I create. design. direct. engineer theatrical adventures. I am in love with a Theater that does not exist and that is what keeps me going. The constant search of new modalities, the questions and possibilities. From integrating projection mapping on stage in the early 2000’s, to rethinking the medium of activism by developing an interactive reality experience to producing the Greatest Carwashow on Earth that defied expectations in a pandemic. I specialize in propulsion systems, high grade parabolic, that cause reflection, release, and catharsis. Like a magician, my goal is to transport you to other worlds while never seemingly leaving this one.
I know what some of you are thinking… Why should I care about the arts? You’re right! I am not that impressed either. There is a lot of noise - and the noise is unfurling now that gen AI has democratized access to literally everybody - And while the word “Art” could use disruption, it shouldn’t be dismissed. Because these 3 letters contain the archives of our human history. Crack the shell open, and we discover: The Parthenon, Da Vinci, Hamlet, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, The Rite of Spring, Dali, Banksy, your favorite artist maybe …
Works of art stimulate the theater of our imaginations, provoking realizations buried deep within. Because we understand through rhythm, we dream in visions, we emote with movement. We process through sensory perception. An encounter with a great work of art is a shock to the soul. It’s a shrink session. An epiphany. It’s love making and it’s war. It’s all and it’s nothing. And it is happening right now. It’s the long-awaited conversation with yourself. It’s how we feel and build memories. It’s the commemoration of our time in history. It’s the representation of where we are as society in the minutious scheme of a cosmic timeline. It’s renaissance’s rebirth of classical knowledge with scientific inquiry, the enlightened groundwork for human rights and democracy. It's the deconstruction of modernism that inspired movements in technology, and philosophy. It’s the Golden Record of images, languages, and music spanning cultures traveling space aboard the Voyager representing humanity. Artists power culture. They are social sensors and transmitters of ideas. And now more than ever, we need them. When we are trolled en masse, manipulated to ‘opinionate’ by algorithms without even recognizing it. We need those who swim against the currents of cultural complacency. In a time when the art of conversation itself is dying, we need other modalities with which, through which, we can process the world and make sense of it. We need hopeful reimaginings, don’t we?
When meeting someone for the first time, I often describe Theatre as my spaceship, whereby the thrust of the imagination, we suspend into disbelief and probe the unknown. And the metaphor is not coincidental. For as long as I have been performing, I have been dreaming of creating shows for space. For the thrill - yes! - and the extraordinary opportunity to reimagine new forms, formats and narratives for our space faring future. I know… it sounds epic, poetic, ambitious, it is - all of it. Throughout the years, Space became very real for me. I participated in Dr. Patricia Cowings Lunar-G and Impedance study at NASA Johnson Space Center where I flew the Lunar Parabolic Flight - most intense experience of my life at the time - partook in Neutral Buoyancy training at NASA Ames while at Singularity University, completed the New Space Economy program at MIT- which helped crystallize my creative place in the industry, am now studying at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences and part of NASA Accelerator. You get it! I am Space-focused, as a friend of mine likes to say.
So let’s talk about Space. Starship: the largest rocket ever built, developed to ferry humans to Mars, completed its first orbital test flight. China’s Tiangong Space Station is operational and expanding. NASA plans to land the first woman and person of color on the Moon and establish a lunar base by 2030. Today, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, Space Perspective, the list keeps on going, offer unprecedented experiences: from slow balloon ascents to the stratosphere, to thrill rides above the atmosphere, to month-long journeys orbiting our planet. Right now, you can purchase a Spaceflight ticket! Your children will take the same trip, at a fraction of its cost, for a very real honeymoon. The space age is booming, with private and public stakeholders across a variety of sub-sectors. Where are all the artists?
If we are going, shouldn't we bring the visions, the rhythms, the innovations? What narratives will we export to space? Will we recycle plot lines and make endless remakes? Or will we innovate and produce utterly original experiences that reflect our times and inspire generations?
We need to prepare for a future that is inevitable. Train artists for space environments and develop the new stories and experiences we will present and partake in Space, today. This is not a copy-paste answer. Take existing form and transfer to space. This is a whole new medium. For one: there is no gravity - let's float with that metaphor for a second! - I understand some space stations will offer artificial gravity, still… Let’s let the medium inspire new art forms. Let’s let the physiological, psychological, scientific needs inspire new art forms.
Today, I am on a mission to explore theatrical and choreographic expression in microgravity. Step 1 of the journey. This is not a stunt, it’s a deep exploration and re-imagining of form and content.Next year, my team and I will create the first multimedia performance in microgravity, aboard a parabolic aircraft. We have a performance crew of five: two videographers and three performers; captured in real-time inside the cabin, over the span of twenty-five parabolas, each producing 22 seconds of weightlessness, totaling 10 minutes. The production will materialize through the delicate interplay of live performance and post production techniques. To prepare for various g-forces, and understand how to work with our center of gravity, we will train underwater, in wind tunnels, and in aerobic flights. And in collaboration with our Biomedical Officer, we will be working with scientists who want to gain biometric insights, by studying our team in microgravity. By bridging performance art and science, we can democratize access for researchers who may need the environment and human subjects to further their experiments. The final rendition will take the form of an art film, a documentary, and immersive weightless installation (and valuable data)
From cave, to page, to canvas, to stage, to film, to virtual, to brain waves. To Space. Space is the new medium. Let’s facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations between artists and space companies, support the regular inclusion of artistic programs in space missions - not as an after-thought as they exist now - but where artistic installations - sonic, multimedia, augmented, live - are fully integrated and a routine part of life aboard space stations and eventually, space habitats. Think of the arts - in all of its forms- as an innovation engine for human centered design. Think of the arts as the greatest tool of communication to engage the public. Think of the arts - in all of its forms- as a theater for the human imagination.
Yes! Some of us dream of going to space. But the reality is far less romantic than the metaphor that Space represents. It’s the poetry we chase. Think about it, as we embark on long-duration space missions, with extended periods of isolation and confinement, and greater distances from Earth. What will bring us earthly comfort? What will we experience beyond the science, initial thrill, and blackout of space?
Music, Literature, Art…. Culture. Experiences that inspire us to aspire further. And that is what it's all about! That is why we are here, for the ultimate pursuit of the unknown.
I believe in a future where the Performing Arts flourish alongside the space industry while benefiting science. We are not abandoning the earth. We are not forgetting what matters. We are not resigning from our responsibilities as good stewards of this planet. None of it. We are infusing a vital element to a rapidly-growing industry that will fare humanity beyond. And isn’t that an idea worth doing? We are: evolving.
This is the next step for art-kind. Humankind. I know, it sounds epic, poetic, ambitious, it is - all of it.
Leap with me.
Natasha Tsakos' Talk Transcript at TEDxMDC, Miami, December 5th 2024
I believe in a future where the Performing Arts flourish alongside the space industry while benefiting science.
We are not abandoning the earth. We are not forgetting what matters. We are not resigning from our responsibilities as good stewards of this planet. None of it. We are infusing a vital element to a rapidly-growing industry that will fare humanity beyond. And isn’t that an idea worth doing?
PS: We are producing The First Multimedia Performance in Microgravity in collaboration with MIT Space Exploration Initiative in 2025. You could be the First. You could be a pioneer of culture in Space. Join us.
QUOTES
"Works of art stimulate the theater of our imaginations, provoking realizations buried deep within. Because we understand through rhythm, we dream in visions, we emote with movement. We process through sensory perception."
"An encounter with a great work of art is a shock to the soul. It’s a shrink session. An epiphany. It’s love making and it’s war. It’s all and it’s nothing. And it is happening right now. It’s the long-awaited conversation with yourself. It’s how we feel and build memories. It’s the commemoration of our time in history. It’s the representation of where we are as society in the minutious scheme of a cosmic timeline."
"Artists power culture. They are social sensors and transmitters of ideas."
"From cave, to page, to canvas, to stage, to film, to virtual, to brain waves. To Space. Space is the new medium."
"Think of the arts - in all of its forms- as an innovation engine for human centered design. Think of the arts as the greatest tool of communication to engage the public. Think of the arts - in all of its forms- as a theater for the human imagination."
"It’s the poetry we chase..."
"I believe in a future where the Performing Arts flourish alongside the space industry while benefiting science."
"We are not abandoning the earth. We are not forgetting what matters. We are not resigning from our responsibilities as good stewards of this planet. We are infusing a vital element to a rapidly-growing industry that will fare humanity beyond. And isn’t that an idea worth doing?"
"This is the next step for art-kind. Humankind."
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