A detailed image of Earth from space with a satellite in orbit, part of "ENOCH" by Tavares Strachan, on display at LACMA's Art+Technology Lab.

Tavares Strachan, ENOCH (display unit), 2015-2017, Isolated Labs, created in collaboration with LACMA as part of the Art+Technology Lab initiative. ⓒ Tavares Strachan, photo ⓒ Museum Associates/LACMA.

A gold statue is housed within a black display unit. It is in a setting that suggests a professional lab or gallery environment.

Tavares Strachan, ENOCH (display unit), 2015-2017, Isolated Labs, created in collaboration with LACMA as part of the Art+Technology Lab initiative. ⓒ Tavares Strachan, photo ⓒ Museum Associates/LACMA.

About the Exhibition

LACMA Art + Technology Lab grant recipient Tavares Strachan launched his project ENOCH into space on December 3, 2018. Created in collaboration with LACMA, Strachan’s ENOCH is centered around the development and launch of a 3U satellite that brings to light the forgotten story of Robert Henry Lawrence Jr., the first African American astronaut selected for any national space program. In this new body of work, Strachan combines hidden histories, traditions of ancient Egypt, Shinto rituals and beliefs, and the history of exploration. In May 2014, Strachan met with SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell, an advisor to LACMA’s Art + Technology Lab, to explore how technology could push his art practice in new directions. Propelled by these conversations, the artist embarked on an exploratory project that led to the development of ENOCH.


The satellite launched via Spaceflight’s SSO-A: SmallSat Express mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. On December 5, 2018 and January 4, 2019, LACMA's engineering team contacted the spacecraft from the Hat Creek Radio Observatory in Northern California, confirming its successful deployment. ENOCH will continue to circle the Earth for seven years in a sun-synchronous orbit until late 2025.

About the Program

LACMA Art + Technology Lab

The LACMA Art + Technology Lab supports experiments in design, creative entrepreneurship, adventures in art and industry, collaboration, and interdisciplinary dialogue. Inspired by LACMA’s seminal Art and Technology Program (1967–1971), which paired prominent artists such as Claes Oldenburg and Andy Warhol with the resources of major corporations, the program was revived in 2015 as part of The Hyundai Project at LACMA, our ten-year partnership with the museum. The Lab provides grants, in-kind support, and facilities at the museum to support the progress of artist projects that take purposeful risks, and to foster innovation and collaboration across disciplines.

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