ST PETERSBURG, Florida, and SAN FRANCISCO, California [December, 2024] - Amy Karle's collection of artworks, A Retrospective for the Future, is poised to make history as the first retrospective launched into space. This body of work redefines the concept of a retrospective, traditionally focused on reflecting on an artist’s development, by boldly serving as a forward-facing archive—capturing the advancements and challenges of our time and envisioning a future where techno-scientific progress supports and enhances all life and the environment.

Karle explains: “My work asks critical questions about what it means to evolve in an era where technology permeates every aspect of our lives and how our choices today will impact the future. By sending this collection into space, we are preserving much more than my artwork; it is a snapshot of hopes, challenges, and the ethical questions that arise as we reshape the human condition and our future trajectory through science and technology.”

Karle’s collection, spanning over two decades of work from 2000 to 2024, is housed on an ultra-durable multi-petabyte data storage system developed by Lonestar Data Holdings Inc. and will be launched aboard NASA’s Intuitive Machines 2 (Prime 1) mission.

Art Meets Innovation
This monumental mission marks several firsts at the intersection of space innovation, art, design, and cultural preservation. Karle’s A Retrospective for the Future and the nonprofit Interstellar Foundation’s Aspire One message, in partnership with UNESCO and Getty Images, will be archived on the Moon, housed aboard the first physical data center ever flown to the Moon.

Created using advanced 3D printing to withstand the Moon's harsh conditions, the Freedom Payload carrying the retrospective is about the size of a hardcover book and weighs one kilogram. It is equipped with fault detection and diagnostics software for groundbreaking research on the effects of radiation on data center payloads on the Moon and in space.

Nick Searra, founder of nonprofit Interstellar Foundation says, "Amy's work attempts to capture the essence of humanity’s drive to explore the unknown—not just in space, but within ourselves. Her retrospective speaks to our evolution, ethical innovation, and imagination as a species. Including it in our Aspire One message ensures that future civilizations will witness the creativity and resilience of our species.”
After launch on Space X’s Falcon 9, currently scheduled for late 2024 or early 2025, the Nova-C lunar lander will deliver the Freedom Payload, including Karle’s A Retrospective for the Future, to the Shackleton Connecting Ridge near the Moon’s south pole.

Futurism in Art
As the first-ever solo show to be placed on the Moon, Karle’s collection expands the boundaries of where art can exist and how it can be experienced. By embedding her work in space, she not only preserves a record of cultural legacy but also opens the door to new forms of artistic creation that transcend the confines of Earth.

Frank White, Author of The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution comments, “We have long known that as humanity begins to move off-world, outer space would no longer be a domain accessible only to astronauts. In fact, the early astronauts consistently said we should send artists outward to capture the awe and wonder of the cosmos. Little did we know that art itself would precede the voyages of the artists. It is fitting that the work of Amy Karle is among the first to make the leap from the Earth to the solar system. She is an accomplished and eclectic artist, who transcends the boundaries separating art, technology, and humanity. She is asking questions that may have to wait until our descendants access her work on the Moon—while gazing at the Earth hanging in the lunar sky.”

Karle’s retrospective reflects humanity's technological evolution while embodying her ongoing commitment to envisioning and creating preferable futures through art, design, science, and technology. Much like her artwork, which often utilizes advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and 3D printing, the preservation of her work on the Moon underscores the critical role of art in shaping ethical considerations and emphasizes long-term preservation—raising questions about how technology can sustain humanity's enduring inquiries over time.

By launching her work to the Moon, Karle challenges future generations to engage with the legacies we leave behind and the futures we dare to imagine. She states, “This retrospective challenges us to think deeply about what we value, choose to save, and how that shapes the future. It reflects what kind of world we are creating now and for future generations.”

Karle, whose creations merge art, design, science, and technology, further explains: “My work asks critical questions about what it means to evolve in an era where technology permeates every aspect of our lives and how the choices we make today will impact the future. By sending this collection into space, we are preserving much more than my artwork; it is a snapshot of hopes, challenges, and the ethical questions that arise as we reshape the human condition and our future trajectory through science and technology.”
As Karle’s body of work takes its place on the lunar surface, it serves as both a time capsule and a call to action, urging future generations to reflect critically on the ethical and technological advancements that will shape the next chapter of human evolution.

Ethical Technology
A Retrospective for the Future serves as both a reflection of our current technological era and an invitation to future beings to contemplate timeless existential questions. The work deeply explores the human condition during this critical time. As the boundaries between biology and technology blur, Karle’s work challenges us to confront the implications of modifying life and altering the course of evolution.
In A Retrospective for the Future, Karle poses bold questions:
• What does it mean to be human?
• What does it mean to be alive at this time of merging with technology?
• How can humans, ecology, and technology merge to create a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable world?

This retrospective reflects on these enduring questions, which are particularly relevant to space exploration. Will future humans or other beings encountering this retrospective ask the same questions? This project invites future generations to contemplate humanity's timeless concerns.

As space exploration advances, A Retrospective for the Future sets a precedent for how art and design can exist, evolve, and communicate in extraterrestrial environments. By archiving her work on the Moon, Karle prompts future civilizations to reflect on humanity's deepest aspirations and the ethical responsibilities of technological advancement—encouraging reflection on the moral choices that define our existence. Karle’s work challenges us to think beyond the immediate present and into the vast expanse of space, time, and the far future.

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Media outlets are invited to follow A Retrospective for the Future as it embarks on its historic journey to the Moon. This project offers a unique opportunity to cover the intersection of art, technology, and space exploration, capturing the imagination of audiences worldwide. Before the launch, more information and updates on virtual events, the mission, and related content will be made available.

For more information on Amy Karle’s A Retrospective for the Future or to learn about upcoming events:
Visit https://www.amykarle.com
https://www.amykarle.com/project/a-retrospective-for-the-future/

Press Asset Folder:
Dropbox: https://bit.ly/4exCrb6
Google Drive: https://bit.ly/3OsLn7e
Note: Specific links to the website with details for captions of each image/more information are saved as the jpeg’s file name.

About Amy Karle
Amy Karle is an internationally recognized ultra-contemporary artist and designer, known for merging digital, physical, and biological systems to explore the implications of technology on humanity, evolution, and the future. Her groundbreaking work investigates how emerging technologies can enhance humanity while prompting critical reflection on the ethical responsibilities that come with such advancements, emphasizing the need for technology to serve and support the well-being of all living beings, intelligences, and the future.
Karle has exhibited internationally across 6 continents including at The Centre Pompidou, France; The Smithsonian, USA; Ars Electronica, Austria; and The Mori Art Museum, Japan. She served as an AAI Artist Diplomat for the U.S. Department of State and was named one of BBC’s 100 most inspiring and influential women in the world.

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES CONTACT:
Amy Karle: https://www.amykarle.com/contact
Interstellar Foundation (Jenna): [email protected], +27762750478