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Motions of Mars

Motions of Mars, neon, neon transformer, 80×20 cm, 2022/23, photos: Kunstraum Memphis/​Jakob Dietrich

The work Motions of Mars refers to the phenomenon of the so-called apparent retrograde motion – a seemingly backward movement of Mars, measured against the fixed stars. This illusional retrograde motion occurs when the Earth overtakes one of the outer planets on its inner orbit.
In Motions of Mars, various retrograde motions of Mars observed in recent years are transformed as neon sculptures. They not only trace visible paths of the planet, but also raise the question of whether what we observe automatically depicts reality, as well as the effects of the angle of view on which certain astronomical phenomena depend.