I recently happened upon a concert at the Royal Albert Hall that made me think about the relationship between science and art. Space Station Earth is an orchestral composition by Ilan Eshkeri set to footage from space provided by ESA (European Space Agency). Through strings, percussion, synths and human voices, the scope of the composition was to provide a ‘holistic experience’, to capture the ‘emotions of an astronaut’, as declared by Eshkeri himself.
‘It sound like Harry Potter, doesn’t it?’ – a colleague passing by.
Although I did enjoy the music, there is something strange about it. Something that irks me. Might be the presence of astronauts on the stage. Might be the players dressed as astronauts. Might be the big ESA logo on the screen. There is a certain accountability and legitimacy enforced. Something to make the public feel part of something bigger. Something official and somehow exclusive. As if we’re being granted a peek into some kind of mystery. The music instills a sense of awe and spirituality. A sense of conquering. War and victory.
What is there to be conquered about space?