Greetings From Mars, A Surreal Visual Project Poking Fun At Tourist Behavior

In the series, one and sometimes two astronauts imitate stereotypical tourist poses, in front of arresting, illusory valleys and sandstone formations—the closest scenery visually, to Mars itself. Mauve is intrigued by “It’s interesting to observe the way we act in front of the camera”human behavior in the face of untamed landscapes, the sociology of picture-taking, and how it exposes our need for self-gratification. “It’s interesting to observe the way we act in front of the camera, how we include ourselves in the landscapes, and how those landscapes trigger the desire to affirm our presence”, he explained in an artist statement. In the digital age, our selfies are everywhere. “So we might ask ourselves, do we travel to discover new places, change of scene, new cultures? Or do we travel to look for pictures of ourselves and to prove that we exist?”