Born in 1985 in Tokyo, Japan; based in Boston and Tokyo, Sputniko! is a Japanese/British artist who creates music, video and machines made by cutting-edge technology, introducing controversial issues and proposing new ideas to the world through various medium such as YouTube and social media. Surrounded by technology and Japanese pop culture, Sputniko! pushes the boundaries between gender and cultural norms. Feminism is one of the most important themes in her works.
An installation tells the story of Selena, a fictional woman who invents a lunar rover rigged with high-heels with the hope to leave her marks on the surface of the moon. The installation includes an image of a super heroine "Lunar Girl" – who Selena dreams of becoming – as well as the actual lunar rover. The machine was created after visiting and talking with engineers and specialists at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and is designed so that the high-heel marks are left firmly on the moon's surface. True to the word "sci-fi", the work embodies a mixture of science and fiction, but the inspiration actually came from a real-life amateur scientist, a 13-year-old girl, who succeeded in launching a Hello Kitty doll aboard a rubber balloon into the stratosphere. The cheerful actions of Selena accompanied by lively music combine to create a powerful statement on female empowerment and the many ways in which women can change the world.