A Starry Messenger

A new work by MDR explores time and space through combining anachronistic and contemporary aerial telescopic technologies. Modeled after Galileo Galilei’s telescope, this alabaster-carved sculpture presents a compound image stitching together various views captured by satellite surveillance systems. The translucent stone, familiar to Tuscany where Galileo was born, suggests the clarity of his observational vision. The piece’s title is a translation of his 1610 pamphlet Sidereus Nuncius in which he first published his astronomical investigations, including the discovery of Jupiter’s moons, that provoked the ire of the Roman Catholic Church. A Starry Messenger allows the sky to look back at the Earth and humans to consider our relative position in space and time — historically and politically.

MDR spoke about their work for our Exhibition Audio Guide. Listen by clicking below or by calling 646-217-4440 ext. 3#

Artwork images by Scott Lynch.