The London-based Chinese artist Jacky Tsai’s art is out of this world—literally. His latest ambitious work involved painting the exterior of a ZQ-2E Y2 rocket that was launched into space in May from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The project, named Chang’e Flying to the Moon, is a collaboration between Tsai and the commercial space company LandSpace.
Tsai tells The Art Newspaper that the work “reimagines the legendary Chinese moon goddess in a cosmic context, bringing mythology, contemporary aesthetics and literal space travel together in one gesture”. The artist explains that he worked closely with engineers to apply aerospace-grade paint.
Intriguingly, certain colours were prohibited; green can interfere with tracking systems, says Tsai, who planned to recover some of the separated rocket parts and turn them into a sculptural installation or even auction them for charity. Unfortunately, all the painted sections that re-entered the atmosphere were completely incinerated by the heat and friction of re-entry, he says.
Tsai’s final thought on the matter? “I hope aliens liked it.”