Space
probe Voyager traverses the depths of space, a diminutive creation of
human ingenuity and an overwhelming desire to reach out, to stretch
oneself beyond the limits imposed by our beautiful living Earth. The
departure of Voyager from its earthly home was but one of the
signifiers of the rapidly changing society in the second half the
20th
century. Just like Voyagers' message of peaceful exploration and
communication with other life forms out there somewhere, the society
witnessed an increasing occurrence of a new type of social movement –
one advocating non-violence, respect for other cultures and beliefs,
a direction toward a more humanistic way of life. The sincere
idealism and beliefs in positive change have since been dulled but we
as a society again and again witness echoes of this resurging need to
reform – be it the recent Occupy protests or countless initiatives
by various social/environmental change organisations.
The
Messenger presents the Voyager probe as a hand made object, using
found or discarded materials - a symbolic representation of societal
hopes and the idealism that personifies the counter-culture movement,
adorned with accumulated debris of the collective dreams for a better
world. A silent audience watches the probe – 1960's counter culture revolutionaries. We sense the pertinent question
arising in our mind – can we really succeed at making this form of
resistance a way forward? Can we really change things for better,
transform our society, or are we just travelling into empty space?
(excerpt from proposal, Mariana Jandova & Tony Cran, 2013)