When it appears on my computer screen, I can make out an artificial background behind it: stars, galaxies, nebulae. The Fit: Visual artist Ashley Zelinki has been with NASA for seven years now, not at a museum or gallery. Her latest major project concerns a series of works (installations, sculptures, etc.) inspired by the first images sent to Earth by the James Webb Space Telescope. Next Thursday, October 6th, ONX Studio, in collaboration with the Onassis Foundation, NEW INC and Mozilla Hubs, will present Zelinsky’s solo exhibition “The Universe Unfolding: First Light” in collaboration with the James Webb Space Telescope team of scientists and engineers. .

The exhibit also features Zelinski’s first virtual reality (VR) art project, Unrolling the Universe: NASA Webb’s Virtual Reality Experience, featuring animated sculptures and interactive portraits of members of the Webb team.

Traditionally, NASA has not had a good relationship with artists. Looks like everything has changed with Ashley. How did her own relationship with the legendary American space agency begin? “Starting with small projects. What I do is work a lot with scientists in terms of the scientific adequacy of the projects. Astronomy inspires me, but I want what comes out in the end to be scientifically sound. I think what was lacking in the organization’s past collaborations with other artists was trust and cooperation. However, works of art like the ones I’m currently working on won’t work artistically unless they also work scientifically.”

Is it always as easy as it seems? “Some scientists are indeed less flexible, but will compromise when they realize that we are not in the classroom. They mostly open when they realize that the purpose of a particular piece of work is to make the visitor leave with a sense of awe. This is a good exercise for scientists: they learn to give free rein to their imagination.”

Prior to joining NASA, Ashley worked at the New Museum, a New York-based arts and technology incubator founded in 2013 dedicated to activities that combine art, design and technology. He passed through the Hat Creek Radio Observatory in California while working at the renowned SETI Institute, which specializes in the search for extraterrestrial life. There she met NASA scientists, gained their trust and was invited to Cape Kennedy to watch the launch of the Osirus Rex mission (“a unique experience”).

Since 2016, he has been working with the team that created the James Webb Space Telescope, the most advanced space observation device currently available. Ashley was “a Webb fan before it was cool,” she says. “I watched it being built, but its launch and the first images were surreal for all of us. All these years I have worked with technicians and scientists working in different departments. For example, engineers literally froze a telescope and subjected it to incredibly low temperatures to test its endurance when going into space. Once heated, another time frozen. Endless details that had to work perfectly.”

In Ashley’s words, “The Internet has outsmarted us. I did not expect to see such clear images of the nebulae, not so fast. The Great Carina Nebula amazed me. I worked very hard to make it art, because it was already art in itself.” This particular nebula, NGC 3372 spans over 300 light years and is one of the largest star forming regions in our galaxy.

Ashley Zelinski’s project, which will be presented in New York on Thursday, has the Onassis Foundation also participating in its organization.

So which method does he follow? “I observe images, I talk to scientists. At the beginning, I do some doodles, two-dimensional drawings, trying to capture the main ideas behind the project and capture the emotional charge. Science is great, but it is lost behind the numbers. Technical things repel people, so I try to bring out the hidden beauty of science, to make something accessible to young and old, even if the little ones do not understand everything. I want the work to be related to the history of art, but at the same time be scientifically based. I grew up with the idea that art comes from here, science from there, and what I did all these years was the opposite: I brought them together. Science asks all the important questions that art all too often tries to answer in its own way. Science tries to provide answers with evidence, art bends over the existential, hidden side of these questions.

I ask her about extraterrestrial life. “I’ve always been interested. NASA and Webb do a lot of exoplanet research, so this question comes up all the time. I think it’s unlikely that there was no civilization somewhere, but we may never know. The distances are unimaginable, and the time, “The amount of time needed to make contact with them is prohibitive. Maybe life originated somewhere and was lost or is still in its infancy. As the universe continues to expand, the galaxies move further apart, so it’s getting harder for us to meet.”

I ask her what she read while working at NASA. “It’s funny to ask this question, because when I first interviewed scientists and engineers for their interactive portraits, one of the questions I used to break the ice with them was what was their favorite book or movie. So, I’ve compiled a long list of favorites from the Webb Science team. I bought everything they mentioned and read almost all of them. They range from Carl Sagan’s “Contact” to classic literature. I think most people have mentioned Andy Weir’s The Martian. I also read books written by scientists themselves, such as The Very First Light by John Mathers.

And from music? “Music came into play when I started working on a virtual reality project. Digital media needs its own soundtrack. I collaborated with friend Ju-Eh (https://ju-eh.com/), composer and lyricist. He created a multi-channel soundscape for the virtual world we created.”

A somewhat philosophical question: it is known that when we observe the night sky, we are, in fact, looking back in time. I wonder if this thought played any role in her work? “Time is a huge challenge for me, mentally and design-wise. The sculptural cone “Gorochronos” is one of my unfinished works related to this idea. I have discussed this with John Mathers, but as an idea it is beyond our understanding. Humans have a very limited perception of time. As a concept, it is too abstract to be put into form. I could spend a lifetime trying to write a paper on man’s relationship with time. I’ll probably try again, but I still won’t finish the way I want. We just don’t have enough time!”

And the last question: will it ever go into space if the opportunity presents itself, for example, to the International Space Station? “Yes! I would like to go and have already started my training. I did zero gravity flight (ZeroG flight). That’s how I got married. I’ll send you a photo to see.”

* “Disclosure of the Universe: First Light”. ONX Studio, Gallery Level, Olympic Tower, 645 5th Avenue, New York. From 6 to 24 October admission is free. Visiting time: 12-18 hours. every day except Monday.