Space/Craft

Contributors | Alexis Hope

Making artistic works by hand is a fundamentally human act, but how will it transform in space? What non-existent forms of artistic expression does different gravity enable?

Space/Craft explores sculpting in zero gravity. Prior work has explored the adaptation of mark-making techniques, like painting, in zero gravity (e.g., Frank Pietronigro’s creativity chamber for drift painting, 1998). Less explored in zero gravity are sculptural works, although 3D printing has been shown to work normally in space (NASA technical publication, 2017).

Digital modeling tools allow us to break the laws of physics as we create, but we can’t replicate those processes on Earth. Space/Craft will explore the artistic processes and possibilities enabled by zero gravity by using a hot glue gun to "draw in 3D." During each cycle of microgravity, the artist will use the mark-making tool to sculpt shapes inside of a containment cube. The thin strings of glue will float into forms that could not be created on Earth by the same process, and then cool in order to “freeze” in that position. The containment cube will be video recorded as the works are created, to be shared after the flight with communities of craft and design. The cooled sculptures will also be preserved so they can be exhibited after the flight. This project will inform reflective writing about the evolving nature of hand-craft in new environments that humans will likely inhabit in the future.