Space is a territory of firsts. First man on the moon, first commercial flight in space, first woman in space, first artworks in space, and the first dog in space. Whilst exciting, this narrative of firsts can become problematic when it creates a competitive dynamic.

Space is a black canvas for imaginary projects, but it has been confined to visions guided by military and commercial interests, an imperialist approach aimed at the economic domination of superpowers. We saw it during the Cold War as Russia and America competed on who would get there first, and we see it now as private companies work towards bringing commercial flights into space. We need a revolution in the way we think of space and its narratives here on earth.

Experiments in imagining otherwise

Every revolutionary movement starts with a process of imagination. As feminist author Lola Olufemi says, “Feminism is a political project about what could be. It’s always looking forward, invested in futures we can’t quite grasp yet. It’s a way of wishing, hoping, aiming at everything that has been deemed impossible. It’s a task that has to be approached seriously – we must think about the limits of this world and the possibilities contained in the ones we could craft together.”

In Mexico and Canada, two artistic souls are questioning the way we have been populating space imagery. “Of course, fundamental research on the origin of the universe, supposedly neutral, will always be important, but can the aspiration to imagine the cosmos not generate other possible visions relying on various cultural sensibilities?”