Space Soon
Press Release


The Arts Catalyst presents

Space Soon
Art and Human Spaceflight

9-13 September 2006

ROUNDHOUSE
Chalk Farm Road
London NW1, UK

Major new commissions by:
Aleksandra Mir, N55 and Neal White, London Fieldworks,

Projects by:
Michelle Griffiths, Semiconductor, Marko Peljhan, Jane and Louise Wilson,
Alexei Fedorchenko, Resonance FM, Jerry Dammers & Kodwo Eshun

Special appearances by:
Laurie Anderson and Apollo astronaut Alan Bean

'We are all already in Space...'

This was Buckminster Fuller's reported response to the first flight into space by Yuri Gagarin. Artists - caught between fascination and repulsion by the new millennial push to Mars and return to the Moon - are still trying to decode the manual to Spaceship Earth.

For a short, intense period the Roundhouse, itself perched in North London like a giant spaceship, is transformed by an event featuring artists' projects which rethink the human desire to leave the cradle of the Earth.

With live events, films and talks interleaving the event, the cavernous interior of the former engine shed of the Roundhouse will be transformed into a rocket factory for a rocket that is going nowhere - Gravity by Aleksandra Mir. Outside, the Space on Earth Station team, radical Danish architects N55 and artist Neal White, reverses into the future by building a Mars base-type habitation, in order to explore our terrestrial neighbourhood. Below, in the hive-like labyrinth of Roundhouse Studios London Fieldworks investigate long-term space travel and hibernation.

EXHIBITION
Aleksandra Mir, N55 and Neal White, London Fieldworks
Sat 9 Wed 13 September
12 6pm / free

TAKING CONTROL - SPACEFLIGHT FOR HUMANS
Symposium
Scientists, artists, writers, space visionaries and entrepreneurs meet in this 2-day symposium to explore the future of space exploration from the human perspective.
Full programme see http://www.artscatalyst.org/
Sat 9 - Sun 10 September
10am 6pm £60 (£50 concessions)
Symposium fee includes free entry to VIP opening night on Friday 8, the Cosmic Engineers party on Sat 9 and Brilliant Noise Glorious Soviet Cosmos film night on Mon 10.

COSMIC ENGINEERS
A journey into space music, electronic images, distressed signals and robot moods programmed by Jerry Dammers and Kodwo Eshun. Special screening of Andrei Ujica¹s cult Russian space film Out of the Present with new soundtrack deejay'd by Dammers and Eshun. Followed by lo-tech android 'disco' and party.
Sat 9 September
8pm / £8 (£6 concessions)

SECRET ARTIST ON THE MOON APOLLO ASTRONAUT ALAN BEAN
Only nine of the twelve men who walked on the moon remain alive today. Only one became a professional artist on his return from space. Legendary Apollo astronaut, Alan Bean, discusses his experience of being on the moon, the impact of spaceflight on the human mind, and the power of art.
An unmissable event in your lifetime
Sun 10 September
7 pm / £20 (£15 concessions)

BRILLIANT NOISE - GLORIOUS SOVIET COSMOS
'I see the Earth. It is beautiful' Yuri Gagarin, first man in space. Or was he? The astonishing Russian documentary First on the Moon shakes our understanding of the history of human spaceflight. Dream Time by Jane and Louise Wilson shows the lingering power of the Russian space programme in the cash-strapped post-Soviet era. In Semi-Conductor's Brilliant Noise, untouched images of our sun, captured by the SoHo satellite, present an alternative aesthetic of space.
Mon 11 September
7pm / £7 (£5 concessions)

LAURIE ANDERSON
In conversation with Kodwo Eshun.
NASA's former (and first and last) artist-in-residence returns to the UK after the success of her show End of the Moon to reflect on her NASA experience and her visit to Russia's space programme.
Tue 12 September
8pm / £12

WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE
Resonance FM host an operatic, radiophonic concatenation of space ephemera and near-Earth collision paranoia. Featuring the divergent talents of Ken Hollings, DJ Original Bear, Tom McCarthy, Johny Trunk, DJ Rocket 88, the Resonance Radio Orchestra and Lembit Opik MP Š Is it possible to have a clean death in a vacuum?
Wed 13 September
8pm / £8 (£6 concessions)
Resonance FM will be broadcasting live from the Roundhouse throughout Space Soon, tune in on http://www.resonancefm.com/ or 104.4 FM in London.

SPACE SOON programme details:
http://www.artscatalyst.org/

Press enquiries:
Alison Wright on +44 (0) 20 7249 4127 or email alison@alisonwrightpr.com

BOOKING & ACCESS

To book tickets and for access enquiries please contact:
Telephone +44 (0) 870 389 1846 and select the Access related booking line Minicom +44 (0) 20 7485 9009
Online bookings http://www1.roundhouse.org.uk/
Email marketing@roundhouse.org.uk
Fax +44 (0) 20 7424 9992

The Roundhouse strives to be universally accessible. Please inform Box Office staff of your access requirements when booking in person or via telephone/textphone.

For hearing impaired patrons the Roundhouse is able to offer:
Infra-red hearing system in the main auditorium and studio.
Induction loop in the Box Office.