Tuesday, Aug 18, 2026

What does it mean to contemplate nothingness? The apparent emptiness of the cosmos is anything but: dark matter, dark energy, and vast cosmic voids shape the universe in ways we are only beginning to understand. This month, we welcome our new Affiliate Artists Alicia Sometimes and Andrea Rassell, whose documentary project Shape of Nothingness approaches these invisible and elusive phenomena through astronomy, poetry, sound, and experimental visualisation. Their work asks how we might perceive what cannot be seen, and what confronting the unknown might reveal about our own experiences of uncertainty.

Read on to learn more about the project, and to catch up on the latest SETI AIR news and events.

Clear skies,
Bettina

AIR Program News

Introducing our newest Affiliate Artists

We are delighted to welcome Andrea Rassell and Alicia Sometimes as the newest Affiliate Artists in the SETI AIR program!

Andrea Rassell is a filmmaker, media artist and interdisciplinary researcher in science art. Working in creative media that engage with scientific instrumentation, data and philosophies – she creates films and moving image installations that explore technological mediation and the multisensory perception of scientific phenomena.

Alicia Sometimes is a poet, multi-media artist and broadcaster. She has performed her poetry at many venues, festivals and events around the world. She is currently a Science Gallery Melbourne ‘Leonardo’ (creative advisor). Her new book is Stellar Atmospheres.

During their time with the SETI AIR program, Andrea and Alicia will work on their project Shape of Nothingness, a feature documentary at the intersection of astronomy, poetry and immersive media, exploring dark matter, dark energy and the nature of the void through three interwoven creative threads: original poetry, data sonification and experimental scientific visualisation.

SETI AIR Artist News & Events

Laurent Grasso

Waiting for UFO / Moons: The Bright Rainbow Dots

Nam June Paid Art Center
Yongin-si, Korea

July 16, 2026 - February 14, 2027

Learn More

Jonathon Keats

Ecologies of Time

Studienkirche St. Joseph
Burghausen, Germany

August 2 - October 18, 2026

Learn More

Image by Nixdorf Fotografie.

Daniela de Paulis

A Sign in Space

Cosmic Frequencies Festival

August 8, 2026

Learn More

Daniela de Paulis

A Sign in Space

URSI GASS conference
Krakow, Poland

August 19, 2026

Learn More

Bettina Forget

Open Question: Extraterrestrial Life

Panel discussion with Bettina Forget, Michael Wong, and Margaret Race
Host: Regina G. Barber

Exploratorium, San Francisco, USA

August 20, 2026, 7pm

Learn More

Bettina Forget

Beyond Little Green Men: Reimagining Alien Life Through Art and Science

Europlanet Congress 2026
The Hague, Netherlands

September 9, 2026

Learn More

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