Project Illustrations

cosmic dancer 2.0 deployed during a spacewalk from the ISS
Deployment of the Cosmic Dancer 2.0 during a space walk. Photo Credit: NASA

cosmic dancer 2.0 deployed in space from the ISS
The Cosmic Dancer 2.0 on its trip into space. Photo Credit: NASA

cosmic dancer 2.0 and the AMF on the ISS
Cosmic Dancer 2.0 and the AMF on the ISS. Photo Credit: NASA

 


Photo Credit: NASA

 

arthur cosmic_dancer on iss
Photo Credit: NASA

All images are photmontages with the Cosmic Dancer 2.0 added for illustration.


***
Two versions of Cosmic Dancer 2.0 for the ISS

CosmicDancer 2.0 Shapeways -small

Cosmic Dancer 2.0 (small) Edition 300 - Weight 20 grams

 

CosmicDancer Shapeways - large

Cosmic Dancer 2.0 (large) Edition 100 - Weight 52 grams

 

 

 

 


Cosmic Dancer 2.0 - a 30th Anniversary Art Event in Space

 

Cosmic Dancer 2.0 is currently under development as a new art intervention designed for realisation on a space station and/or for space tourists.

Three Proposals

1. The first proposal is to use utilize the Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF) - a gravity independent 3D printer - specifically developed for producing 3D objects - including art objects - in space.  The AMF was sent to the ISS in 2015 to manufacture 3D parts and objects in situ instead of sending these into space on a rocket. This process increases efficiency and reduces cost. It also opens possibilities for artists to have their artworks realized in space.

2. The second proposal is to 3D print the Cosmic Dancer 2.0 on Earth and send it on a rocket to a space station - either the Internatioanl Space Station (ISS) or to the new Chinese Tiangong space station. Once there, it will be unpacked in the cargo ship and brought on board where the crew will interact with the sculpture in a similar way to the original Cosmic Dancer. When the opportunity arises, an astronaut or a taikonaut will deploy the sculpture in space during a spacewalk. The idea of deploying a sculpture from a space station goes back to an earlier project - the OUR-Space Peace Sculpture developed in 1990s in collaboration with Glavcosmos. The two top photos on the left and the video above are based on an actual deployment of a small satellite during a space walk.

3. The third proposal is to make Cosmic Dancer 2.0 available to space tourists signing up for sub-orbital flights that are due to begin in the year 2022. The tourists may purchase a 3-D printed Cosmic Dancer 2.0 before their flight and interact with it during their time in zero G.

The actual dimensions of Cosmic Dancer 2.0 will be determined during the on-ground prototype phase. A photographic and video documentation will be made of the of the Cosmic Dancer 2.0 on the space station. This may also be possible for space tourists depending on the arrangements with the flight provider.

In either case, it is expected that this art intervention will attract substantial international press attention. Exhibitions, presentations, social media announcements and public participation via crowdfunding are planned.

The significance of the Cosmic Dancer 2.0 art intervention:

  • Cosmic Dancer 2.0 indicates a continuity in the development of art designed for space
  • Cosmic Dancer 2.0 will emphasize the new possibilities for artists to realize their art projects in the space environment
  • Cosmic Dancer 2.0 utilizes new technologies and new opportunities for realizing art in space
  • Cosmic Dancer 2.0 is a further investigation of the properties of sculpture the space  environment
  • Cosmic Dancer 2.0 contributes to expanding the cultural dimension of humanity's space activities
  • Cosmic Dancer 2.0  will be a example of international cooperation in space at a time of growing international tensions
  • Cosmic Dancer 2.0 may be the first artwork deployed in outer space by a cosmonaut during a spacewalk

A 30th Anniversary Art Event in Space
If realized in 2023, Cosmic Dancer 2.0 will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the realization of the original Cosmic Dancer sculpture on the Russian Mir space station in 1993. The Cosmic Dancer was the first three-dimensional artwork to be specifically conceived for and officially realized in a space habitat. The purpose of the project was to investigate the properties of sculpture in weightlessness and to evaluate the process of integrating art into the human space program.

Art Funding

Anyone may participate in the realization of this unique art event in space today!

  • Two initial limited editions of Cosmic Dancer 2.0 as a 3-D printed sculpture are now available online.

  • Cosmic Dancer 2.0 Digital Fine Art prints are also now available online.

  • Original Cosmic Dancer sculptures are also available in the Cosmic Dancer shop.

  • There are also collaboration and sponsorship opportunities for organizations and companies. If interested, please contact me for further details.