There’s a very cool art project called “Exobiotanica” that just launched a bonsai tree and a floral arrangement into space, and tracked and photographed the result.
Set against the beautiful blue backdrop of our home planet, and the darkness of space, the results are really surprising, and a fantastic application of artistic creativity in an unexpected place.
Bonsai Tree in Space. Copyright Azuma Makoto
Says the Japanese artist Azuma Makoto, “I wanted to see the movement and beauty of plants and flowers suspended in space”.
The launch was undertaken by JP Aerospace (here’s their blog) and launched by a helium balloon, and tracked using HD cameras (Go-Pros, naturally – the go-to camera for things descending to Earth).
Full details are on the New York Times here: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/18/flowers-in-space-azuma-makoto-exobiotanica/
It’s a nice reminder that space exploration is a creative exploration too.
[…] Some people use the near space balloons to experiment. In July 2012, students sent petunias in a vase to the stratosphere, where the flowers froze at temperatures of –63 degrees Celsius (–81 °F). Others are inspired for artistic reasons. Azuma Makoto, an artist in Japan, sent a bonzai tree and a floral arrangement into near space and filmed them in a project called Exobiotica. […]