SPACE Curated By Shana Mabari

In 2018, Shana Mabari became the first artist to fly aboard a mission of NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a specially equipped 747 that is the largest airborne observatory, which flies to an altitude of 45,000 feet to study astronomical phenomena such as black holes and star formation. This profound experience served as the catalyst for Space, which features texts from eleven diverse contributors and selections from Mabari’s sculptural series Meteors.

As Mabari pursued separate bodies of artwork after her unique artist residency, she asked a cross section of individuals from her own social and professional sphere, ranging from a filmmaker and a musician, “What do you think about when you think about the word space?” Their answers in the form of short essays explode the everydayness of these words to reveal a kaleidoscope of perspectives, which in turn serve to inspire intimate meditations on themes surrounding social connectivity and the individual’s relationship with humankind’s larger knowledge networks. The project reflects Mabari’s longstanding interest in exploring the intersections of art and science as well as incorporating into her practice the work of others not typically seen in traditional art-world contexts.

Montabonel’s unique design vision further underscores the intimacy of these reflections. Comprised of ten individual hand-sewn booklets printed on Bible paper, with selections from Mabari’s series Meteors printed on gloss clear film invites the reader to experience the ordinary anew through an exquisite disruption of the conventions of typical book publishing.