​EXTRACTIVISM IN OUTER SPACE

Is an upcoming exhibition which presents artistic and activist positions that question the new commercial space race for mineral extractivism. This exhibition at the Kunsthalle Exnergasse (Vienna, Austria) is twinned with the Afronauts Writing Space Law exhibition that will be curated by the Institute of Uncanny Justness (South Africa) at the Space Observatory outside Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) in 2020.

The two exhibitions are linked by their interrogation how Euro-American positivist law has played a role in governing mining and extractivism across time and space, pushing resource frontiers across the globe and now beyond. 

The next wave of colonialism is being played out in the oceans and outer-space. As big industry and governments exhaust mineral resources here on land, on our earth, greater efforts and prospecting is occurring in the deep sea and outer space. So much so that wealthy nations like Luxemburg and the United States are legally carving up the moon, mars and even asteroids with new maps. They are claiming areas where they will mine and exploit. Not only are there massive ethical questions for if we should disturb other worlds with our capitalist intentions, but beyond that these activities will have real world impacts back here on earth – as again wealthy nations (built on the history of colonial exploitation), who have the financial and technical resources to invest in extractivism in outer space, will gain yet another upper hand over poorer nations creating wealth and power by colonizing worlds and territories for their own gain. ​

Decolonising Space law

So considering this, we aim to challenge and interrogate international space law, which is a product of the Cold War era - is ambiguous in its language as it is unclear if commercial mining, governed through private property rights, is allowed under the Outer Space Treaty (1967). ​

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RE-NAMING THE MOON

​This work joins many other projects that will be used to visualize and reflect upon the connection between old colonial extractivism on planet earth and new colonial extractivism in outer space. The exhibitions in Addis Ababa and Vienna in 2020 are also linked through a critical reflection about the relationship between the United Nations and African countries as Vienna hosts the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. As such, Vienna also becomes a reflective site where artistic practices can interrogate the fairness of international space law.

THE WIDER UNCANNY SPACE PROJECT

​The exhibition is also linked to an academic research project that is led by Saskia Vermeylen and funded by Leverhulme Trust which seeks to write a new space law manifesto based on a critical interrogation of the utopian visions of space law, utopian theories and science fiction literature.

While we understand that naming the moon seems like a feeble act against such great powers, we know that naming things on maps has been a powerful tool used in colonialism to claim power and resources– but we also know that we can re-claim these maps, give them new names, names that carry with them stories and truths that their own secret strength to challenge those who have power.

Join the project by claiming your right to have a say on what happens to our beloved moon, and other sister worlds.

For more information go to
www.uncannyjustness.org