An Anatomy of Mars
Mars is intrinsic to our history, culture, and geopolitics, in addition to being a frontier of ongoing scientific discovery. In the absence of human exploration, our understanding of Mars is forged from spacecraft interactions and comparison to Earth-based geological and biological analogues. Over the past six decades, this terrestrial referencing has made Mars into our most familiar world beyond the Earth-Moon system. Cousins will discuss her collaboration with artist Ilana Halperin and art historian Catriona McAra to explore how these paired martian and terrestrial landscapes can provide an intimate and corporeal narrative of Mars as a living, geological body with deep human and curatorial relevance. Using artistic conceptualisation and visual interpretation, we explore these landscapes and their relation to planetary habitability and deep time in human terms, by merging contemporary artistic practice in colour, materiality, and sculpture with scientific techniques in Mars imaging, geology, and geomicrobiology.
About the Speaker
Claire Cousins is a planetary scientist, who uses field analogues and experimental research to develop the science and technology related to current and future robotic space missions within our Solar System, namely to Mars and the icy moons Europa and Enceladus. She is especially interested in how planetary conditions can support biology, and she is involved in the European Space Agency ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover. She is currently collaborating with artists and academics to explore the interface between contemporary art and Mars science.
Join us for a series of lunchtime talks with researchers, thinkers, artists, creatives, and like-minded individuals.
Over the coming twelve months, we invite you to a menu of fascinating ideas over lunch. Weather permitting, we’ll gather outdoors to nourish our minds in the open air, with indoor spaces available should we need shelter.
In the first four talks, we’ll explore the rhythms of nature – from seasonal cycles to geological developments and the forces that shape life on our world and beyond. Together, we’ll consider how changes at various scales reflect the broader ecological crisis and explore ways to engage with these shifts, both practically and imaginatively.
We are delighted to be joined by David Farrier, Michelle Bastian, Claire Cousins, and Anne Magurran.
Coffee, tea, and water will be available, with sandwiches for pre-order at the Visitor Centre. Free for St Andrews Botanic Garden Friends Members, £3 for visitors
