What if you could live out your final moments in outer space?

Wallace R. Gillard is a visual artist from Sudbury, Ontario. From an early age, he was deeply inspired by vibrant colours, particularly bright canary yellow. He remembers being fascinated by the colour while finger-painting as a child, and he still tries to draw out yellow in his work because of the joy it brings peopl​e.

Gillard also finds inspiration from science fiction, and his current project is a vibrantly coloured space series called the Astro Greenhouse project. This undertaking explores the concept of space buria​ls that are often seen in science fiction literature and movies. Pretty consistently, the ritual consists of the deceased person being shot out into space. But in Gillard's vision, people are sent into space in a pod while they're still alive so that they might spend their remaining days explorin​g the cosmos.

Watch the video:

Wallace Gillard's Astro Greenhouse project

6 years ago

Duration 2:54

Wallace Gillard is imagining a new way for terminally ill patients to find meaning.

It's an opportunity for terminal ill people to have one last adventure at the end of their life. As they take their final breaths (which could be days, months or even years from their departure, depending on their health), the pod will take over. It will release enzymes to break down their body into biofuel and fertilizer, and a greenhouse process will begin. Earth plants will grow in the ship from their remains, with the hope that the vessel could some day reach another planet and spawn life there.

So what would motivate someone to agree to space travel at the end of their life? Hypothetically, it's one last opportunity for a new experience. Imagine the legacy you'd leave behind if you were partially responsible for seeding life on another planet? It's also a way to relieve your loved ones from the burden of taking care of you when you can no longer take care of yourself.

Gillard​'s mother-in-law works at a long term care residence, and their discussions about her interactions with terminally ill residents has been a great influence this project. When families show up to arrange for final rites, they often bring photos of their lov​ed ones. His mother-in-law began to notice that her patients came from interesting backgrounds, had ample education and might even be specialists in their field — the only thing holding them back was their inability to use their physical bodies. Their minds would still active, but their bodies were limited. She also noticed that terminally ill patients often feel like a burden to their families, which led Wallace to his space exploration concept that is taking shape in the form of a graphic novel.

Ultimately, the Astro Greenhouse project asks: would you take one last opportunity to go on an incredible journey?

Find out more about Wallace R. Gillard here.

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