The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) continues to deliver breathtaking views of the cosmos, and the art world has embraced its inspiration.
Digital artist Ashley Zelinskie launched her three-part series with Unfolding the Universe: First Light at Onassis ONX Studio, New York, in 2022. The exhibit celebrated NASA’s contributions to the JWST, a joint mission with ESA and CSA. Recently, she unveiled the second chapter of the series.
The new exhibit, Unfolding the Universe: Wandering Through Time and Space, opened at Amsterdam’s Torch Gallery on September 6 and runs through October 26. It features new JWST-inspired works, including reimagined Pillars of Creation, the Cat’s Paw Nebula, and innovative takes on gravitational lensing. The showcase also integrates ESA’s Webb VR experience and large-scale textiles made in collaboration with Out of Seam.
Zelinskie has worked with NASA scientists since 2016, translating cosmic data into artistic media. Her portfolio includes a four-dimensional sculpture for Yerkes Observatory and VR art like Twin Quasars for the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Her works appear in the U.S. State Department’s Art in Embassies program and international venues like Sotheby’s New York and Singapore’s ArtScience Museum.
She explained that her process involves 3D scans of nebulas, generative art, and copper-plated 3D prints to echo JWST’s engineering. Sculptures like Gravitational Lensing and Gravitational Waves embody scientific phenomena in tactile form, while textiles reinterpret nebula lifecycles through woven silk, cotton, and natural dyes.
Amsterdam was chosen for its ties to ESA’s ESTEC facility in Noordwijk and its strong art-technology community. Talks at the gallery featured ESA experts such as Lorenzo Speri on gravitational waves and Nora Luetzgendorf on JWST, alongside discussions on exoplanets with Maximilian Guenther. NASA’s Maggie Masetti, curator of Zelinskie’s first exhibition, also contributed, underscoring Webb’s collaborative nature.
The final chapter of Unfolding the Universe will focus on the Canadian Space Agency’s role in Webb, including guidance systems and precision engineering. Zelinskie plans to showcase new copper-plated sculptures and a VR experience highlighting Canadian scientists’ contributions, with a Canadian gallery partner still to be determined.
Through this ambitious series, Zelinskie emphasizes international cooperation and the fusion of science and art, making the cosmos more accessible and emotionally resonant for global audiences.