To Space, From Earth

Space Art DNA Capsule

To Space, From Earth is a Space Art DNA Capsule that utilizes emergent biotechnology to carry a visual message to space. Artworks are encoded into synthetic DNA to be launched on a spaceflight. To store the artworks in DNA, they are digitized and converted from binary data to the DNA bases represented by the letters A, T, G, and C. The encoded DNA sequences are synthesized using a silicon-based platform and preserved in a specialized capsule built for spaceflight. DNA is nature’s oldest and most resilient data storage method. To Space, From Earth will serve as an important record of human history and the biosphere. The artwork traveled to space aboard Space Perspective’s inaugural test flight in 2021 and currently floats in space as part of the Moon Gallery in the International Space Station (ISS) since 2022.

Materials: Digital artwork, synthetic DNA, metal capsule
Year: 2019 – 2022

Image Credit: Yoko Shimizu, Beyond Earth, Space Perspective, Moon Gallery

Future Flora

Biodiversity in Space

Materials: Plants, microorganisms, human DNA
Year: 2019 – present

Exhibitions: BioBAT Art Space (2022-2023), International Space Station (2022), Museum of Design Atlanta (2022), Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (2020-2021), NEW ENERGY TOKYO (2022), rooms Tokyo (2021)

Image Credit: Yoko Shimizu,, Moon Gallery

BIOTECHNOLOGY COLLABORATOR

TWIST BIOSCIENCE

Twist Bioscience is a pioneer in DNA Data Storage, and the first company to publicly commercialize their DNA writing technology for data storage. Twist is now collaborating with multimedia artists to use their cutting-edge biotechnology as a tool for archiving and preserving artwork and culture to inform citizens of the future of this current era. All known digital storage mediums today will become obsolete or fail during the lifetime of an artwork that should inspire current and future generations for centuries. DNA is positioned as the best archival storage medium to store precious data that should last centuries or longer.

SPACEFLIGHT COLLABORATOR

MOON GALLERY

Moon Gallery is an international collaborative artwork and a gallery of ideas worth sending to the Moon. Moon Gallery aims to set up the first permanent museum on the Moon. Moon Gallery will launch 100 artefacts to the Moon within the compact format of 10 x 10 x 1cm plate on a lunar lander exterior panelling as early as 2025. In this Petri-dish-like gallery, we are developing a culture for future interplanetary society. What are the ideas we want to promote into the future? What are the ideas we want to leave behind?

SPACE PERSPECTIVE

Space Perspective is a human spaceflight company whose zero emissions Spaceship Neptune provides access to the edge of space for tourism flights and payloads from Kennedy Space Center.