CONSCIOSNESS VERSUS OBJECT'S PHENOMENA _ A CELESTIAL EXPLORATION

Science-fiction project

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At this time of sanitary, environmental and political crisis, we must strive intensively towards a utopian outcome, even if it may seem relentless and in vain. Architecture, art, philosophy, psychology, science, and astronautics have joined forces for the Consciousness versus Object’s Phenomena_ A Celestial Exploration (CvOP) concept. All these fields united to bring an important contribution from their area of expertise towards solving some of our most critical confrontations: the conflict between mind and body, the dispute between Anthropocentrism and Object-Oriented Ontology, the mystery of the dark matter and the threat of climate catastrophes, global warming and existential questionings dominating our thinking. The Utopian imagination is the core of this project, and it aims to counteract the dystopian thinking that has gained great amplitude nowadays.

The Consciousness versus Object’s Phenomena_ A Celestial Exploration (CvOP) project is set in the year 2161, in a utopian post-singularity future, 200 years after the first human’s travel in space orbiting the Earth took place, when humans have almost come to disconsider the concepts of anthropocentrism in favour of an Object-Oriented Ontology type of approach. This science-fiction scenario pictures a responsive celestial sphere of objects and consciousnesses embedded into particles. The celestial sphere is located in the Earth’s high Orbit, in the Geosynchronous Orbit, where it floats slowly above it at a matching pace. The future portrayed in this storyline is no longer dominated by the principles of capitalism but rather focuses on the evolvement and enlightening of humans. Working is no longer vital for survival, and the inhabitants of the Earth are preoccupied with performing more enriching experiences instead and with protecting their planet while treating it and the objects on it as equally important to oneself. 

Debris-recycling space architecture

The ‘CvOP’ Architecture consists of an assemblage of objects and consciousnesses embedded into particles that create a flexible protective sphere around the Earth. The CvOP sphere populates the Geosynchronous Orbit and is controlled by the AI with the aid of satellites and by the responsible organisations on Earth. While the establishment is highly dense in some parts, it constantly changes its shape according to the needs of the planet while also creating a celestial decoration for the people to observe at nightfall. The particles swarm to create celestial architecture. They also gather to allow the sun rays to light the permanently shadowed areas of the Earth during the day and to help maintain a comfortable climate on all continents without affecting the seasonal weather conditions.

Going through the ‘CvOP’ experience is a fulfilling and enriching adventure. A part of your mind is uploaded to a chip that is installed inside a triangular or spherical shaped particle, the size of a basketball. Spacecrafts are prepared for the journey to the Earth’s outer orbit. The particles are loaded onto the futuristic-looking self-driven space vessels, and the journey is ready to begin. The Geosynchronous Orbit is the destination where the magic affairs await. The particles are unloaded from the spacecraft into the orbit, at the farthest point of the ‘CvOP’ sphere of objects, where the particles can start their three phases long mission. 

As the conscious-filled particles are pulled towards the Earth by gravitation due to their small size and almost feather-like weight, they have three objectives to complete. The first phase starts in the outer part of the protective sphere of debris, where the particles are in their closest location to the Sun. This is where the photovoltaic cells on the outer structure of the particles will harvest solar energy for use in fuelling the spacecrafts and for further use on Earth after their return. Thus, the journeys will achieve a sustainable outcome; through solar-powered spacecrafts. 

Space architecture_Interior

The second phase of the particle as it travels towards the Earth takes place when the particle has reached the middle point of the object’s sphere and is surrounded by things. There, it has the capacity to connect to the objects and inhabit them according to the diurnal pattern of the Earth’s rotation. The digital duplication of a part of our mind will be possible in the utopian scenario of the year 2161 and it will expand human experience. The brain of the user will be scanned in detail in a dedicated clinic on Earth and a computer simulation of its brainstem will be created and uploaded to a small hard-drive, an electronic chip. All your brain’s synapses are captured and replicated in detail to recreate a part of the mind. The digital form of this consciousness will exist equally as its original, so that the user can continue to lead an undisrupted life on Earth, while experiencing these enriching adventures in space during his unconscious sleep state. The biological user goes on with his life for the duration of the one-month celestial journey of his mind, while his virtual-self gathers valuable experiences. For the duplicated-self, the experience will feel similar to being involved in a game or a simulation that feeds information into it. The visual details of the simulation of being an object appear to the mind as real. 

Celestial Swarm

The space debris, such as the glove lost in space by Ed White, or the tool bag dropped by astronaut Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper together with objects brought by the spacecrafts, especially for the purpose of shaping the ‘CvOP’ Sphere, will be at the particles’ reach for exploration during the night when the human on Earth sleeps. His assigned particle with his consciousness collects memories and experiences from the objects while he is in an unconscious state, thus being able to experience everything like in a dream and to wake up with new knowledge and new understandings. Around two weeks from the total one-month-long journey will, the conscious particle spend populating objects one by one to experience their life and read their ‘minds’. Finding out what it’s like to be a statue, a chair or a glove is what this adventure offers for the purpose of bringing us closer to deciphering the mysteries of the non-living. When experiencing the life of things, the consciousness gathers tremendously important knowledge that will lead to our further development as species and to a better understanding of the world and how we might understand it and perhaps save it from the detrimental influences we inflicted upon it while we were a less educated humankind. 

The final step of the journey is the entertaining one for the inhabitants of our planet. The particles controlled through satellite transmissions from Earth, by architects and technicians, will come together to create the Celestial Architecture. They will align, join and rotate while being admired by people on Earth with great admiration and wondering what the resulting architecture will portray. The fulfilment brought by the celestial show, for which the majority of spectators have contributed by sending their minds in orbit will bring them a great feeling of belonging to a greater community and a huge satisfaction knowing they are all devoted to one very important purpose; protecting the planet. 

Along with all the phases the particle goes through together with the sphere of objects, it also protects the Earth from space debris and from the sun’s radiations. The flexible sphere of things will adjust according to the climate conditions and temperatures on each piece of land on our planet as to create optimal circumstances everywhere; where there is more need for sunshine, the particles and objects will make way for the rays to touch the soil, and where the temperatures are too high they will come densely together to protect us, our habitats and our crops. The protective sphere in its most dense shape can protect the planet from small-sized meteorites and falling debris too. 

After the completion of the three phases, the particle is ready to be brought back to the bases on Earth. The particles have successfully achieved their programmed tasks, and they contributed to protecting us. All our minds brought together shape a powerful tool for a better future for us and the generations to come.

Earth's Protective Shield

Ana Stan is an architectural designer and cross-disciplinary visual artist based in London, United Kingdom

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