These sculptures of Jupiter and Io are a tribute to the Voyager mission and the culture of the 1970s that launched it. The spot where you are standing lies on a line directly connecting Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the institutions that designed and managed the mission. In 1977, Voyager I and II launched on missions of “close approach” to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and many of these planets’ moons. The first set of images to come back showed Jupiter in great detail; our largest planet, it is mostly swirling gas. Shortly afterward, data from Io revealed that it is the most volcanically active body in our solar system.

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The Voyager mission had a cultural significance that went beyond scientific discovery. It was designed during the final years of the Vietnam war, during the Watergate scandal and amid cold war nuclear tensions. An important feature of the mission is that it would produce two spacecraft that would be the first human - made objects to leave our solar system. Some of the scientists on the project thought that it might be the last best thing that humanity would leave behind. It is likely that the Voyager spacecraft will continue traveling towards other stars for billions of years beyond the lifespan of our own earth, perhaps the only remnant of humanity. The Gold Record that included music and greetings from all over the world captured the public’s imagination. It was one of the first ‘world music’ compilations and remains interesting to this day.

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The site where Close Approach was installed is still under construction. We will have updated photos of the installation once this is complete. Please check back soon!

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Date:

2023

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Location:

MW Lofts in Pasadena, CA

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Dimensions:

Jupiter is 96” in diameter, Io is 30” in diameter

 

Medium:

Stainless steel, glass spheres, electronics

 

Artist:

Joseph O'Connell + Creative Machines