Wolff, Rachel. “Science Friction.” ARTnews Mar. 2014: 64-69. Print.
German artist Agnes Meyer-Brandis’ exhibition Moon Goose Analogue: Lunar Migration Bird Facility, explores the connection between nature, art and technology. Meyer-Brandis created a flock of lunar geese that have been “stranded for centuries on Earth” and are planning their celestial escape from Earth to the moon (66). Her moon geese “have their roots in a 17th century text by the English bishop Francis Godwin” and reference his narrative in which “Godwin’s protagonist escapes near-certain doom by hitching a ride with a flock of geese whose migration pattern takes them to and from the moon” (66). In her exhibition, Meyer-Brandis allows spectators to participate in the geese’s research and potential cultivation of the moon. Spectators can see the geese’s research on crop harvesting and their projected plan to live on the moon’s surface.
What I found so interesting about Meyer-Brandis’ instillation was the connection between Godwin’s text and contemporary environmental issues. I found that the narrative of using geese as a means for survival and escape is relevant to the contemporary problem of using natural resources for humanity’s benefit without considering the ramifications, yet she’s referencing a 17th century text which highlights that man’s exploitation of nature isn’t a new one. I also thought that (although humorous and fanciful) showing a flock of geese utilizing IT and typically human-like research methods (like calculating annual crop yields and agricultural planning) was a really amazing way of illustrating how humans treat their environment as a renewable commodity when in fact environmental resources are rapidly depleting. I related this source to the idea of using IT to translate nature’s “unspoken language” into terms that humanity can readily understand and comprehend. The image of a flock of geese attempting to flee Earth to find a better place to live is not only effective and funny, but it also speaks to the problem of humans exploiting their environmental resources to the point of animals having to become lunar-colonizers. Along with the sci-fi element of her exhibition, I think this source is really entertaining while simultaneously commenting on how humans use their environment to benefit themselves without considering the adverse effects of their consumerism.
