Potentially Uninhabitable Worlds
art & science
Potentially Uninhabitable Worlds explores the intersection of planetary science, architecture, and speculative futures through a dialogue with researcher Adomas Valantinas. Combining topographic data from Mars with abstract architectural forms, the video installation reflects on the search for life beyond Earth, the challenges of inhabiting extreme environments, and the unsettling parallels between Mars and a future Earth shaped by ecological collapse.
Developed as part of the Reagenz program at Dreiviertel Kunstraum in Bern during Connected Space, this project emerged from a dialogue with planetary scientist Adomas Valantinas, then a PhD researcher at the University of Bern. His research focused on analyzing Mars’ surface through data from the CaSSIS imaging system, searching for evidence of water, a key factor in the search for life beyond Earth.
Our conversations spanned scientific exploration, cosmism, and the aesthetics of data imaging, while also opening up broader questions about the ecological crisis, space (de)colonization, and the paradox of designing hyper-engineered environments for survival in uninhabitable conditions. The prospect of underground settlements on Mars, conceived to protect future inhabitants from radiation and extreme temperatures, not only reflects the challenges of extraterrestrial life but also offers a glimpse into Earth’s future. As environmental collapse reshapes our own planet, the challenge is no longer just how to inhabit Mars but how to adapt to an Earth that is becoming increasingly alien. Current architectural models for Martian habitats propose enclosed subterranean spaces with tholos-like structures emerging on the surface. These designs recall ancient necropolises, particularly those of the Etruscans, where the deceased were housed in familiar environments that mirrored their homes. This parallel raises deeper questions about survival and memory, suggesting that the effort to create livable spaces on Mars is not only a technological challenge but also a conceptual one. How do we construct the idea of home in a radically transformed world? What traces of life, past or present, might exist beneath the surface—whether on Mars or in the ruins of Earth’s future?
The video installation visualized these ideas through a synthesis of Mars’ topographic data and stylized, out-of-scale architectural forms. Simple 3D structures, including staircases, gates, and elevators, floated above the barren Martian surface, rotating in an endless, hypnotic motion. These forms suggested access points to the underground, referencing both the search for hidden life and the construction of artificial habitats. Their shifting placement invited speculation, evoking a future where engineered environments become necessary not only for space exploration but also for survival on Earth.
Projected onto the display window of Dreiviertel Kunstraum and accompanied by an ambient soundscape by Adomas Valantinas, the work invited viewers to reflect on the limits of exploration, the allure of the unknown, and the ways in which scientific imaging shapes our perception of distant landscapes. More than a meditation on Mars, it served as a reminder that the boundary between habitable and uninhabitable worlds is growing increasingly fragile.
Our conversations spanned scientific exploration, cosmism, and the aesthetics of data imaging, while also opening up broader questions about the ecological crisis, space (de)colonization, and the paradox of designing hyper-engineered environments for survival in uninhabitable conditions. The prospect of underground settlements on Mars, conceived to protect future inhabitants from radiation and extreme temperatures, not only reflects the challenges of extraterrestrial life but also offers a glimpse into Earth’s future. As environmental collapse reshapes our own planet, the challenge is no longer just how to inhabit Mars but how to adapt to an Earth that is becoming increasingly alien. Current architectural models for Martian habitats propose enclosed subterranean spaces with tholos-like structures emerging on the surface. These designs recall ancient necropolises, particularly those of the Etruscans, where the deceased were housed in familiar environments that mirrored their homes. This parallel raises deeper questions about survival and memory, suggesting that the effort to create livable spaces on Mars is not only a technological challenge but also a conceptual one. How do we construct the idea of home in a radically transformed world? What traces of life, past or present, might exist beneath the surface—whether on Mars or in the ruins of Earth’s future?
The video installation visualized these ideas through a synthesis of Mars’ topographic data and stylized, out-of-scale architectural forms. Simple 3D structures, including staircases, gates, and elevators, floated above the barren Martian surface, rotating in an endless, hypnotic motion. These forms suggested access points to the underground, referencing both the search for hidden life and the construction of artificial habitats. Their shifting placement invited speculation, evoking a future where engineered environments become necessary not only for space exploration but also for survival on Earth.
Projected onto the display window of Dreiviertel Kunstraum and accompanied by an ambient soundscape by Adomas Valantinas, the work invited viewers to reflect on the limits of exploration, the allure of the unknown, and the ways in which scientific imaging shapes our perception of distant landscapes. More than a meditation on Mars, it served as a reminder that the boundary between habitable and uninhabitable worlds is growing increasingly fragile.
video installation
full HD
stereo sound
36’ loop
NASA 3D resources
3D video animation
06.21. Dreiviertel with Connected Space, Bern (CH)
08.21. Logbook by Platforma Art Gallery, Astana (KZ)
full HD
stereo sound
36’ loop
NASA 3D resources
3D video animation
06.21. Dreiviertel with Connected Space, Bern (CH)
08.21. Logbook by Platforma Art Gallery, Astana (KZ)
Credits —
In conversation with Adomas Valantinas, astrophysicist and PhD student ︎ On invitation of Anna Fatyanova, curator of Dreiviertel Kunstraum, with the collaboration and support of Connected Space Bern ︎ Video produced by Matteo Taramelli ︎ Sound mix by Adomas Valantinas