Marsification: A Tale of Planetary Grief
Lily Sloane (US 2024)
49 min
Today we are being increasingly bombarded by the idea that humanity can and should expand to Mars. Coined in 2020 by the art collective Bureau of Linguistical Reality, the neologism Marsification critiques the idea that we can reset civilization by escaping to “Planet B”.
Marsification: A tale of planetary grief is a concept album audio artwork that unsettles seductive astro-colonial fantasies of leaving a damaged Earth for an uninhabited Mars. These 16 vignettes are designed for individual experiences and community dialogues as we process this interplanetary moment in all of its dissonance. Marsification:
A tale of planetary grief weaves together textured soundscapes, spoken dialogue, satire, hyper pop, whimsy, humor and heartache, non-fiction and science fiction, science and poetry, fantasy and history, with travels into inner and outer space. How can we examine assumptions about the future? And how do we listen properly to the ghosts that haunt the present?
Written and created by Lily Sloane and Zara Zimbardo
Narration and voice acting by Lily Sloane, Zara Zimbardo, and Chelsea Kigano
Audio production, music and sound design by Lily Sloane
Editorial support from Keisha TK Dutes;
Sound consultation from Adriene Lilly