Red Planet

2013
Borrowing from the genre of "invasion literature," this project imagines the much-persecuted prairie dog as a potential inter-planetary traveler. In this world, the war-like language of humans who feel embattled against this "pest" species is displaced to the planet named for the God of War. The narrative is told through a series of dioramas and accompanying captions, while a colony of prairie dogs listens intently to the War of the Worlds broadcast. Radio as a transmission across space emphasizes the importance of context in labeling a species as "pest" or "invader."

Stuffed fabric prairie dogs, buttons, rug, vintage 1930′s radio, collage, series of 6 wood and acrylic painted dioramas, caption wall text.

Photos: Will Arnold

Journey to Mars: SOMEWHERE IN SIBERIA, 1958Caption text: The Russians, in their eagerness to defeat the Americans in all scientific advances, perfect the universal translator and use it to understand the complex, highly descriptive language of the prairie dog.

Journey to Mars: GOING TO SPACE, 1962Caption text: The prairie dogs strike a deal with the Russians. The Russians like sending animals to space; and prairie dogs love adventure. They seek the final frontier.

Journey to Mars: PRAIRIE DOG COLONISTS ON MARS, 1969Caption text: Adapted perfectly to their new geography, the prairie dogs colonize the planet, terraforming, and discovering subterranean water.

Journey to Mars: IN THE SILENT JUNGLES OF GUAM, 2013Caption text: Banished to a former military radio headquarters, a bored ranger listens, day in and day out, for signs of alien life. Until one day, he hears it: a message, from the prairie dogs. They say hello. And that they found one of our rovers.

Journey to Mars: MISSION CONTROL MAKES A DECISION, 2013Caption text: Their presence discovered, prairie dogs watch as NASA’s Mars Rovers get stuck in a prairie dog hole. Heat ray gun poised, the rovers on the red planet hesitate.

MARIA LUX

Red Planet