MarsRocks at EMC4, the 4th European Mars Society Conference in London

Abstract of the presentation Sunday 10th, 15:00

'Mars rocks' was a public event built around a 'cultural analog station' in Berlin this summer, from July 14 until 31. Activities in art, music, robotics and debate were held on a beach-like patch between the river Spree and the last pieces of the Berlin wall that once separated east and west.

A simulated Mars habitat was constructed from wood and plastic foil, less technically challenging than socially multi-purpose, being used as a store, art gallery, projection wall, discussion room and party lighthouse.

My presentation on sunday afternoon will also touch the conceptual background: To deliberately leave the scientific sector and embrace the mass culture. - The notion of culture seems unspecific at first sight - we will separate it from the scientific and the political perspective, have a short trip to Moscow in order to illustrate the connection to space and find a simple definition.
This understanding may also effect the way we promote a manned Mars mission: If we can not place the Mars mission inside the mass culture, we might not make it happen at all.

A practical proposal for the real mission follows: Humans seek to find the secrets of Mars, fine. But, in order to reproduce the interest in space activities as part of human culture, we will have to bring new secrets there: Sending an artist to Mars might be a clever tactic.