‘’Finding Diamonds’’ is traveling to the International Space Station (ISS)! A miniature version of the work less than 1 x 1 cm – is mounted on an epoxy resin cube and sits together with 63 other miniature pieces of Art in a gallery grid. This grid will fly to the ISS aboard the NG-17 rocket on a Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply mission. The launch is scheduled for Saturday the 19th of February at the Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA after 12:39 pm EST (18:39 CET) and will be viewable via the NASA broadcast channel. Images of the Moon gallery are expected to be sent to Earth about 14 days after launch.

João hopes the work brings the astronauts an earthly focal point to rest their eyes on after conducting scientific experiments and to remind earthlings of the fragility of our planet. He decided ‘’Finding Diamonds’’ should be his first piece of galactic Art. After all, the photograph was made during the first-ever ‘’Golden Tulips’’ shoot at the end of the Tulip season in the Netherlands in 2016.

For inquiries, please contact me at hello@joaoprates.com.