First Spaceship on Venus is the title of a series of rockets created by the Swiss object and installation artist Sylvie Fleury (b. 1961) since the 1990s. It was then that she started building monumental spaceships from various materials, some of which shimmer in ice blue or bright pink and others of which are covered with white fur. The MdbK is presenting a selection from this series on one of the large second-floor terraces.
The title ‚First Spaceship on Venus‘ is taken from the 1960 science fiction film ‚Der Schweigende Stern‘. This DEFA production was co-produced by the GDR and Poland. The film centres on the threat posed to Earth’s inhabitants by a nuclear catastrophe seemingly originating from Venus. In order to save the planet, an international delegation of astronauts travels to Venus in a spaceship. The historical context is revealing in this regard: The film was made against the backdrop of nuclear bomb tests carried out in the USA and the Soviet Union in the 1950s, reflecting the nuclear arms race during the Cold War – a topic that has taken on explosive relevance in light of new political alignments and rearmament today.
However, Fleury confronts this horror with humour and glamour. The artist has deliberately chosen the materials for the rockets. Drawing on a pop-art aesthetic, she has selected colours reminiscent of lipstick or nail varnish. The white fur softens the rockets' harshness. With their soft and glittering surfaces, they lose their aggressive impact. The spaceships therefore pose no threat. Instead, they are a testament to the power of love.
Sylvie Fleury’s First Spaceship on Venus follows on from the spatial installations previously exhibited at the MdbK by international female artists – Chiharu Shiota’s Internal Line (23 September 2021–27 March 2022), Hito Steyerl’s The City of Broken Windows (15 June–15 October 2023), Sandra Mujinga’s Fleeting Home (30 November 2023–12 January 2025) and Rosa Barba’s Under the Canopy (since 28 May 2025).
