Artist on the Moon is being developed alongside acknowledged institutions and scientists such as Bernard Foing, director of the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG), EuroMoonMars, and former senior scientist at the European Space Agency (ESA). This year, while undergoing rigorous training programmes to gain the mental and physical fitness required for space travel, Borghildur is working with various international research groups, and carrying out a number of research trips to scientific research centres across the globe.
Borghildur is Artistic Director at the Earth Moon Mars Astronautics Training Academy (EMMATA) where she is currently shaping the academy programme, to be announced in Autumn 2021. In June 2021 she is invited as co-author of a paper on EMMATA to the Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX) in St. Petersburg. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gargarin’s spaceflight, GLEX is organised by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the world’s leading advocacy body for space exploration.
In July, the practical research on performing in zero gravity will begin in collaboration with the ‘Space Training Academy’ founded by visionary astrophysicist, airline pilot and space travel instructor Nancy Vermeulen. Zero gravity research will take place in a specially prepared aircraft undertaking parabolic flight maneuvers, which give scientists and participants the opportunity to experience 12-14 seconds of weightlessness, multiple times during one flight session.
Looking beyond 2021, the ongoing scientific and artistic research behind ‘Artist on the Moon’ will produce a stream of artworks to be announced and exhibited at various locations over the coming years.