The surf surrounding Tavares Strachan’s (b. 1979, lives New York) hometown of Nassau, Bahamas, is the site of an experimental rocket launch. Made of glass from island sand, and powered by sugarcane, the rockets mark a primary phase of the artist’s Orthostatic Tolerance project (orthostatic means to stand upright, and tolerance refers to the ability to withstand pressure) to explore the heights of space and the depths of the ocean. Video, drawings, photography, and sculpture document the launch and allow a glimpse into the future. Through the rubric of scientific exploration, he engages both the resources and community of his home country, and investigates environmental, cultural, historical, and postcolonial issues. Strachan’s installation will be on view in the Project Space at the Institute of Contemporary Art April 24-August 2, 2009.

The most recent stage of the Orthostatic Tolerance project—launching miniature rockets off the waters near Nassau, Bahamas—will be documented through an installation of drawings, photographs, video, and sculpture (including a compact equipment transport vehicle). Engaging both the resources and community of his home country, the artist investigates environmental, cultural, historical, and postcolonial issues through the rubric of scientific exploration.