Will the outer space ever become our home?

With one of the several painting series within her Cosmodreams project, contemporary Russian artist Marina Fedorova evokes a vision of the earthlings’ extraterrestrial future with such precision of detail that one begins to suspect that we have indeed long since been living in space – albeit in some parallel reality. The pictures show various scenes from the daily lives of young girls in space, different household objects, and interiors of their cosmic dwellings. This new world became their home. The artist challenges us to imagine what life in the outer space would be like, how would we cope with the lack of sunlight, and what it would feel like to find ourselves deep within the cold and empty cosmic expanse. Of course there is no one definite answer to this.

 

‘I think that, after leaving the Earth for good, mankind would be constantly accompanied by a sense of nostalgic earning for our home planet: after all, there would be no way to reverse this decision,’ says Marina Fedorova.

 

Why did humans desert their planet? The answer can be found in the Space Art Odyssey video, as well as in the Dystopia painting series. In the first quarter of the 21st century, mankind began to fearlessly roam the entire Universe, getting further and further away from their earthly home. People could no longer save their planet from the imminent environmental disaster. This was the time when humans began to search for a new safe haven somewhere in the outermost reaches of the Universe. They naturally missed the Earth with its boundless expanses, dense forests, and pure water . . . But they realised that there’s no way back.

 

All artworks in the Life in Space series convey a sense of longing and nostalgia for the abandoned home on Earth. The characters of paintings seem to believe that there’s still a chance of return, that everything might change, and then . . . This sentiment is expressed by the artist by means of perspective: the female protagonists wistfully look at the tiny blue globe barely seen in the distance (Villa and Suitcase), while cosmic nebulae fill the empty backgrounds (Red Stockings and At a Hotel).

 

For now, these girls are destined to be forever searching the Universe for the place where they belong, the return to Earth remaining nothing but a dream.
Whether you perceive this vision as a fantasy or a road map, it is nonetheless strikingly beautiful! The entire series can be viewed in the Cosmodreams art book or at www.cosmodreams.com