Space Program 2.0: MARS

In 2007 it was the moon landing and "encounters with the terrible sublime".  Now. for 2012 Tom Sachs promises us MARS.  To call this epic will no doubt prove to be an understatement.  We can hardly wait...

Check out Tom Sachs' you tube channel and peep his site for info and consumable arty goodness.

Die Antwoord video included in exhibit at the Guggenheim

Evidently the Guggenheim Museum rocks far harder than we ever suspected.  Die Antwoord's video 'Zef Side' was chosen to be included in the museum's show 'You Tube Play'.  Part interview, part performance and completely off the chain, the two and a half minute long viral video was last year's introduction to the strange and compelling world of the South African rap group Die Antwoord.  The video is one of 25 that were chosen by a jury whose members included Animal Collective and were presented at the Guggenheim Museums in New York, Bilbao, Venice and Berlin from October 22-24.

The show has come and gone, but you can still see the all the finalist's videos on the Guggenheim's website.

"encounters with the terrible sublime" / why we love Tom Sach's SPACE PROGRAM

We have been big fans of Tom Sachs since the late 1990's when he first popped into onto our radar with his cardboard and thermal tape constructions of designer branded objects like the Prada toilet and the Hermes value meal.  Since those days his constructions have become more ambitious and his staging has grown to mythic proportions.  One of our favorite Tom Sachs moments of all time is captured in the movie above.  In 2007's Space Program Sachs recreated a lunar lander, all the associated astronaut gear (like flight suits and equipment)  and a mission control center.  Then he and his staff recreated the moon shot from lift-off, to moon landing, to splash down, all with breathtaking attention to detail and a wicked sense of humor.  As the press release for the project summarizes:

In addition to the huge, intricately built lunar module that is the centerpiece of SPACE PROGRAM - replete with such classic Sachsian features as a fully stocked booze cabinet, toolkit, and soundtrack necessary for survival on an alien planet - visitors will find a fully functioning mission-control unit. On a grid of monitors, the liturgy of space exploration unfolds in a live demonstration by Sachs and his team, involving countless rituals and procedures, from instrument checks to moon-walking and sample-collecting to splash-down. Thus the gallery becomes a sort of reliquary of both the material traces and special effects of the artist's encounters with the terrible sublime.


Learn more about Tom Sachs on his website www.tomsachs.org.  While you are there be sure to check out the art goodies in his store, including the Stanley Kubrick Tape Measure which made us smile.
Video and press release from tomsachs.org.