Dubai based British artist sends first artwork to the Moon

• Astrobotic launched the artwork as part of its Peregrine Mission One.
• The artwork aims to bring humanity together.
• Jafri’s artwork was tested by Spacebit for two years.

Sacha Jafri, a British artist based in Dubai, has officially transmitted the inaugural artwork to the Moon, conveying a powerful message of love and empathy for all of humanity.

The title of Jafri’s artwork ‘We Rise Together with the Light of the Moon,’ launched as part of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One.

The lunar lander, carrying the artwork, took off aboard United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday.

Jafri utilized an aerospace-grade aluminum gold plate as his canvas, employing laser techniques to create his unique piece on the Moon-resilient plate. The artwork features a man and woman surrounded by a motif of 88 hearts in various sizes, symbolizing a reconnected humanity. The central figures are depicted holding hands, entwined by love and empathy.

He said: “My artwork aims to be a symbol for a reconnected humanity. At night, as our Earth falls into darkness, our only natural light comes from the Moon. But now as it shines its light, it shines with the symbolic message of my artwork, and from the darkness comes the light.”

The contemporary artist emphasized, “I hope for humanity to reunite as we begin to vibrate at a higher frequency, embrace humility, understand the power of universal consciousness, and realize the fragility of our planet.” This artist had previously garnered attention by crafting the world’s largest art canvas titled ‘The Journey of Humanity’ and subsequently selling it for a substantial Dh227.75 million at an auction in Dubai back in March 2021.

No soft landing:

Jafri’s artwork, currently in space, will not achieve its planned landing on the Moon on February 23. Reports state that the first lander to launch from US soil in half a century has “no chance” of executing a successful landing due to a “crippling propellant leak” that occurred in the first few hours of the lunar lander’s journey into space.

The Pittsburgh-based firm Astrobotic provided some consolation, indicating that the lander still has sufficient fuel to function as an “orbiting spacecraft” while engineers determine its new mission in orbit.

Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One, a component of NASA’s Artemis program, originally aimed to be the first US spacecraft to land on the Moon’s surface since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Eternal artwork:

Jafri, surpassing Jeff Koons in sending artwork to the Moon, disclosed that he utilized a moon-resilient aerospace-grade aluminum gold plate as his canvas.

This decision ensures the artwork withstands the extreme lunar conditions, which fluctuate between a scorching 120°C during lunar daytime and plummet to a harsh -130°C at night.

The announcement of Jafri’s Moon-bound artwork occurred in February 2022, and it underwent two years of testing by British private company Spacebit to confirm its enduring presence on the Moon.

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