Space Gardens

Written by Olivia Cigliano Photos by @supinatra

GARDENS SPACE

As famous and mysterious as alien existence is, whether it’s about their whereabouts or physical characteristics, another question surrounds extraterrestrial plantlife. In fact, like all evidence of life outside Earth, alien vegetation has yet to be discovered (well, except for @supinatra’s garden, but we’ll get to that). NASA identified 3,667 exoplanets in 2,747 systems as of 2017, as well as moons and planets within our solar system that could potentially host primitive life like microorganisms. However, space detectives are still combing the universe for nature as vibrant and lush as Earth’s, anticipating decades of research with technology that’s yet to be invented. But there are some clues that point to the existence of plant life on other planets, measured in a sub-discipline field of study called Astrobotany. Astrobotanists use infrared telescopes to measure the light reflected by plants on a planet’s surface, called the vegetation red edge (VRE), which detects signatures of oxygen, water vapor, or other indications of life. They hope this will reveal the presence of extraterrestrial vegetation. Although astrobotany remains one of the many mysteries of the Milky Way, some NASA scientists believe we may be able to predict the color of plants on other planets outside of our solar system. Research suggests that each planet has different dominant colors for photosynthesis, based on the planet’s natural atmosphere and where and how much light reaches the planet’s surface. The dominant colors in vegetation on far-away planets point to hues of green, yellow, or red. The search for space gardens has long been overshadowed by the curiosity for microbial life, but some humans are dreaming up their own extraterrestrial greenhouse. Maria Luneva (@supinatra on Instagram) is a “Flower Artist and Flower Killer” based in Moscow. The twenty-three-year-old creates lifestyle objects such as underwear, glasses, manicures, and masks, constructed with natural elements that inspire her— for example, petals, dirt, or insects. Luneva’s plant-based masterpieces have an air of otherworldly gore, eerie germination and whimsical wonder.

What are you inspired by? Who are you inspired by?

Nature always inspires me: plants and their petals, fruits, insects and even dirt. I started my work inspired by the works of the already held artist Katya Molchanova (@thundergirl_xtall)

When, why, and how did you begin working with plants and flowers for beauty looks?

It all started in the spring, during the quarantine period. I had a lot of free time to listen to myself and not rush anywhere. I saw Katya’s work and after a while I found myself photographing a mushroom behind my ear. This was my first job, you can find it by scrolling down my Instagram.

How do you source your materials?

I find flowers while walking my dog, who obediently waits for me at every bush, as I do for him. I live next to the forest, so the materials are everywhere. If you were an alien, would you look like your art? Which planet would you be from? What do you imagine aliens look like?

I think my appearance would make it easy to understand which planet I would be from because I would decorate myself with the local flora. I think that aliens definitely have hands with fingers.

How do you imagine what alien vegetation looks like on other planets?

I would like to think that it is no less diverse than on earth. I represent many unusual colors and shapes.

Do you have a favorite look or creation you’ve done? What look do you want to do next?

I do not have a favorite, everything I make is like a puzzle of my world. I have a lot of non-embodied ideas in my notes, I don’t know which one I will choose next. And maybe tomorrow there will be a new idea.

What do you hold affection for?

I have affection for Russian nature.