To the Moon and beyond
In exciting news, one of our films has been selected into the Lunar Codex; an archive of contemporary art being stored in a time capsule for future generations that will last a billion years.
A message of regeneration is being sent into outer space.
Our films have been shown all around the world and now one of them is heading to the Moon.
Released last year, The Oyster Gardener is a short documentary that follows the story of Jolie, a year 12 student and aspiring marine biologist, who joins forces with her community to bring back the lost oyster reefs of the Noosa river. The story is one of hope and regeneration, and has captured the interest of Dr Samuel Peralta - visionary physicist, artist, and founder of the Lunar Codex.
“The Oyster Gardener was selected to be part of the Lunar Codex because, in its essence, it is a story of hope, of the power of young people – in concert with others – to create the world that they imagine. It's a story of renewal, of rebirth, and is the kind of inspiration that is important not just for this generation, but for the future.”
- Dr Samuel Peralta, Founder of the Lunar Codex
The Lunar Codex has been described by the New York Times as "a time capsule of human creativity, stored in the sky." It is an ambitious project dreamed up by Peralta to archive creative contemporary art on the lunar surface for the posterity of humankind. Currently the collection includes the works of over 40,000 contemporary artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers from all around the world - 249 countries, territories, and Indigenous nations.
What makes it so unique is that this professionally curated art collection represents the first time that the works of women artists, Indigenous artists, and artists with disability have ever been put on the Moon. The project is about true representation for everyday people and humankind, and Peralta's ambitious vision is to include every country and culture into the Lunar Codex. In February this year, Space X's Odysseus Lunar Lander successfully landed on the Moon, carrying the works of over 1,000 artists.
"The arts are a wonderful expression of all that is good about people, about the human race. And even despite the fact that we are heading into an uncertain future with climate breakdown and wars, and the extinction crisis - who knows where we're heading - that legacy for humankind will be preserved in perpetuity up on the Moon." - Margaret Ingles, Lunar Codex artist.
The Oyster Gardener will be archived onboard the spacecraft Codex Polaris, due to launch to the Lunar southern hemisphere in February 2025. Following that, the archived works will be launched past the Moon, across the solar system, and beyond. A third "Golden Record" if you will. However, this time, the records will be etched into nickel. The primary fly-by target, an asteroid, is about 1 million kilometres away (600,000 miles)!
The Oyster Gardener is currently streaming on ABC iView and is available on ClickView for teachers and students to enjoy, along with supporting curriculum resources. Learn more about the Nature Conservancy's Reef Builder project here.
The Oyster Gardener will be in an archive onboard the spacecraft Codex Polaris, due to launch to the Lunar southern hemisphere in February 2025 via SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, onboard the Astrobotic Griffin lunar lander, alongside NASA's VIPER lunar rover.
The artworks are stored on analogue, nanotechnology called NanoFiche. The images are laser etched into a piece of nickel about the size of an American quarter.
'A Quiet Spot for Señor Perro' by Margaret Ingles, one of the artists onboard the Lunar Codex.
The Art Side of the Moon Documentary
The Art Side of the Moon is a short documentary about the Lunar Codex project. Directed by Kim Ingles and Produced by Julia Lörsch, the filmmakers behind The Oyster Gardener, the film follows the story of Dr Samuel Peralta's vision to archive the largest collection of contemporary art on the moon.
The Odysseus Lunar Lander attempted to land on the Moon in February of this year (2024). Carrying scientific equipment onboard, it also carried an important payload for the Lunar Codex project - a series of small, coin-sized NanoFiche discs containing the artworks of over 1,000 artists, including works by Margaret Ingles, another key voice in the film.
The film was a Sunny Coast Showdown winner and premiered at the Sunny Coast Showdown ShowFest in June. It is currently doing the film festival circuit.
