Curator's foreword

The concept of lunar colonisation has a rich historical context, spanning from the space race to the present day. However, the notion of altering the Moon’s colour introduces a new and captivating dimension to this discourse, provoking cultural, political and economic implications. It is within this framework that the concept of Chasing the Devil to the Moon emerges.

Drawing inspiration from the 19th-century Estonian folk tale The Moon Painters, retold by the Estonian-American writer Selve Maas, the project delves into the power of art and the artist in shaping our understanding of the world under lunar occupation. The story focuses on the creation of the world when the Creator hung a huge ball of gold in the sky to light the Earth at night. This displeased the Devil (or Vanapagan), for he needed the darkness to accomplish his work of enslaving the souls. So he set forth to paint the Moon with tar, a task he partially succeeded in, only to be forever trapped on the Moon, in his own medium. The big craters, which we see today are the result of the Devil’s rage and tarry footprints, the story goes. 

Recolouring the Moon raises profound questions about our relationship to the lunar surface and the broader cosmos. Is this act a form of colonisation or an opportunity for new cultural connections with the universe? The ethical and political implications of such artistic endeavors cannot be overlooked, as art can both inspire transformation and perpetuate existing power structures and reinforce inequality.

Drawing on The Moon Painters, I began to consider the power of art and the artist in shaping our understanding of the world under lunar occupation. What would it mean to recolour the Moon? While art can inspire, challenge and transform, it can also reinforce existing power structures and perpetuate inequality. As we explore the possibilities of lunar occupation and nation-building, we must be mindful of the ethical and political implications of our actions.

At the heart of this project is the idea of nation-building. While the idea of colonising the Moon may seem fantastical, it is rooted in a long history of territorial expansion and domination. As we consider the implications of recolouring the Moon, we must also consider the ways in which this project could reinforce or challenge existing power structures. Will the “Moon Painters” of today be seen as pioneers, visionaries or conquerors? How will their actions be interpreted by future generations?

The exhibition Chasing the Devil to the Moon raises a series of debates and questions related to the ethics, responsibilities, practicalities, funding, reception, interpretation and sustainability of the project and others like it that interface art and the public. Selected via an open call addressed to artists active in the Baltics and Eastern Europe, the exhibition features new commissioned works by Ann Mirjam Vaikla, Amélie Laurence Fortin, Agate Tūna, Pau/a, Jila Svicevic and a performance by Eglė Šimėnaitė. 

Ann Mirjam Vaikla’s art project Moving Rosette explores the connection between power structures, colonisation and visual representation. Through a thoughtful and critical approach to decolonisation, the artist challenges the dominant narrative of geopolitical tension between East and West. Her work features a full moon-shaped rosette that is gradually covered with black soot, inviting the viewer to contemplate the ways in which power structures have shaped our understanding of the world.

Amélie Laurence Fortin’s visionary artwork Supralunarity presents a futuristic and utopian vision of the adaptation of Freeman Dyson’s celebrated “Dyson Sphere” concept to the Moon. The project proposes a solar panel “shell” built like a skeleton, encasing the Moon and supplying all the solar energy needed to sustain human expansion on Earth. Fortin’s work challenges traditional imperialist thinking and offers a novel perspective on energy, sustainability and the future of humanity.

Jila Svicevic’s thought-provoking art installation explores the intersection between socio-ecological engagement, cultural transformation and lunar occupation. The installation features a model of the Moon covered with flexible black solar panel strips, symbolising society’s addiction to technology. It serves as a critique of the speculative engineering project Luna Ring, which proposes powering the Earth from the Moon. Svicevic re-evaluates the Moon’s role in shaping our technological future and emphasises the importance of scientific communication and environmental awareness while raising questions about the ethical implications of such endeavors.

Pau/a’s art project Moon-Walking on the Moon presents a thought-provoking commentary on contemporary society, settler colonialism and neoliberalism in the context of lunar occupation. Informed by political theorists Wendy Brown and Ivan Asher, the project explores the pervasive influence of possessive capital and its economic framing of all aspects of life. Through various elements, such as a sculpture garden of private relics left behind on Earth, the installation invites reflection on the potential consequences of settler colonialism in space and the role of nostalgia in shaping our future. Pau/a’s work stimulates critical discourse and highlights the importance of pushing boundaries to address pressing societal challenges.

Agate Tūna’s art project The Unforeseen Spectrum delves into the association between the Moon and human consciousness, posing the question of what would happen if the Moon’s colour were altered. Tūna challenges the long-held belief that the full Moon can induce bizarre and dangerous behaviour, exploring the psychological and environmental implications of changing the Moon’s colour. Using chemigrams, a photographic technique, Tūna creates captivating and unpredictable images that reflect the mysterious nature of the Moon. Through her project, she prompts viewers to reconsider the Moon’s role as a guardian of Earth and invites reflection on the political, social and environmental significance of this celestial body.

Eglė Šimėnaitė’s performance Take Less Space and Disappear is a mesmerising lunar-inspired work that invites the audience to contemplate topics like immateriality, weightlessness and altered perceptions experienced by astronauts. Through flickering images and sculptures of light, a soundscape featuring processed water samples and the use of reflective surfaces, objects and fog, Šimėnaitė explores the natural landscape evocative of the Moon’s mysterious atmosphere, manipulating light and exploring the contrast between light and darkness, shifting shapes and colours. The performance ultimately leaves the audience with a feeling of lightness and a dreamlike state of mind, similar to the lunar influence on human consciousness.

These artistic projects have taken on the premise of the open call and the legacy of The Painters of the Moon raising questions and providing propositions and commentary that unpacks some of the issues at stake when taking on such a monumental task in the age of heightened extractivist interests by corporations and governments. The Moon is an image of power and, at the same time, a new frontier for power – a site of inward and outward pressures, of the struggle for autonomy and colonial control. What are the roles of art and the artist in these configurations of power? Focused on a single initial hypothetical that can be deconstructed from different philosophical, practical, political and social angles, the artists also consider the importance of the regional context in art and culture, as it is perceived through our and others’ speculations.

Chasing the Devil to the Moon ultimately encourages a re-evaluation of our relationship with the Moon, our planet and one another. The artworks on display challenge traditional ways of thinking and offer new perspectives on the intersection of art, science, politics and society.