A Special Trip to Space

Teacher: Aitziber Altube

Artist: Ibon Sáenz de Olazagoitia

Language: Basque

This project was part of a broader school program, which launched a hot-air balloon from the school yard into the stratosphere, with a weather station to measure air temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and altitude. The project was an invitation into space exploration.

This specific project was aimed at going beyond the scientific or technical components and giving free rein to imagination by approaching the hot-air balloon ride from the perspective of art. The pupils were asked to do a series of creative tasks, like choosing a character to ride in the balloon, complete with outfit, designing a logo, or giving a name to the space mission. To perform these tasks, they had to learn the history of the space race and find sources of inspiration in literature and film, as in the early trips to the Moon imagined by Jules Verne or Georges Méliès, or in the adventures of Tintin. They also created a fictional character, “Noski,” which was brought to life in a process that went from sketchbook to white clay to 3D printer. As the kids developed their individual skills, they played an active role—as actors, directors, and active protagonists—in a common project, a work in progress.

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