Churimov Gerasimenko

2015 / Cast iron swarf and glass / 25 × 17 × 20 cm

Comets are celestial bodies made of minerals. They were first studied in detail following the invention of the telescope, when it was also discovered that they appear recurrently. For this piece, I placed a replica of the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet — the intended vehicle for the European Space Agency’s Rosetta probe, in its journey beyond the Sun — inside a glass case, to underline the sheer tenacity of humans when it comes to conquering unexplored places. As with Halley, and the comet that was later named after him, the European Space Agency will never see their probe again.