A ‘laugh star’ — a 3D-printed representation of sound waves generated from human laughter — created aboard the International Space Station has become the first-ever piece of art to be produced outside Earth.
The artwork was printed using Additive Manufacturing Facility, a gravity independent 3D printer, which supports the daily operations of the ISS by producing parts, tools and assemblies, effectively eliminating the need to wait months for those to be launched from Earth.
The work was conceptualised by Israeli contemporary artist Eyal Gever, who is passionate about using art as a medium for social impact, that connect people from different backgrounds and nationalities.
While many artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Damien Hirst have created works of art that have subsequently been sent to space, Gever’s art work is the first to be produced in space.
A plastic sculpture shaped like a jagged donut now holds the title of first piece of art to be made in space. As abstract as it looks, the piece is a 3D waveform of a human laugh, captured through a project by Israeli contemporary artist, Eyal Gever.
The specific laugh was selected from over 100,000 entries submitted through the Laugh app, with the winning model beamed to a 3D printer aboard the International Space Station.