SPACEMAN

GUY LALIBERTE, THE FOUNDER OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, ORBITED THE EARTH FOR 11 DAYS AS A PRIVATE SPACE EXPLORER (1 OF ONLY 500 IN HISTORY)…AND TOOK PHOTOS FOR HIS BOOK “GAIA” PUBLISHED BY ASSOULINE.

By Rob Hill

In 2009 you became the first “space tourist” and now it looks like that may become the norm—for rich people that is. How did that come about?
Actually, I was the 7th private space explorer, but the first space clown! I think that space exploration will continue growing and should become accessible to most people. Not only is it the most interesting viewpoint of planet Earth, but life at the International Space Station is a model to follow in terms of respect between Nations and individuals. I became aware of the possibility of private space travel through my friend Julie Payette, who is an astronaut. I almost signed up in 2004 but I had to put that thought on the back burner for personal reasons. Then, in April 2009, Eric Anderson from Space Adventures (who brokers the space flights) sent an e-mail saying a seat was available for the September TMA 16 Soyuz crew. I thought about it and checked my schedule, and decided it was too quick. This was the 25th anniversary year of Cirque du Soleil and I had a lot of things in the works. But, overnight on my boat, I could not sleep, gazing at the moon, the stars and the ocean… it dawned on me that I was letting something important pass me by. I tracked Eric down and asked if the seat was still available. He said yes but I had a week to decide. And then the whirlwind began; 5 month training in Star City and in space at the International Space Station for 11 days.

Treats loves that you called it a poetic social mission. Have anymore planned?
The Poetic Social Mission was a crazy project. I thought it would be a great idea to raise awareness to water issues. It now has artistic extensions. “Gaia” is one of them.  And I have plans for more artistic expressions of my Mission that would all benefit ONE DROP.

Describe what you were feeling all the way up there in space?
I had different feelings at different moments. In the Soyuz rocket, I felt extremely calm and peaceful, very chill, very at peace. It is surprisingly quiet. You feel vibrations but see nothing and only hear the conversation exchanges between the commander and control. On-board the International Space Station, I felt like a kid again, discovering things, not wanting to sleep in case I would miss something. I was in a constant state of euphoria. On the way back down? That was the ride of a lifetime. The most unbelievable roller coaster ride you could imagine. Thrilled and wanted to do it all over again.

How long were up up there?
11 days total.

Tell us about your book “GAIA”? Did you plan on doing the book before you took off?
No, not at all. I wanted to take photographs as a keepsake. I like keeping “souvenirs” of my travels and I thought that this would be the only thing I could “bring back” in my very tiny 5kg payload. The first day aboard the ISS, I spent a lot of time watching Earth, its shapes and forms. It was just like when I was a kid lying on the grass, spending hours creating stories about the clouds. Now, it was the other way around, but with the same childlike spirit. I became a kid again and my playground was looking at planet Earth from space! The Earth’s colors, relief, textures, deserts and volcanoes would reveal the shape of a dragon, a fossil or a woman’s head. This art in constant motion inspired me. I no longer saw the Earth as a planet, but as a huge kaleidoscope. When I landed back on Earth, I shared the photographs with my family and friends and I saw their reactions to the photography. I also validated the technical aspect of my photographs with photographer friends.  Then I met Prosper Assouline and we decided to do this artistic project together. It became “GAÏA”.

There’s a special edition book for $875.00. What does that entail?
“GAIA” is a project that will benefit ONE DROP FOUNDATION. All proceeds, including the artist fee and royalties, are given to ONE DROP to finance water-related projects. In that spirit, we imagined three editions of “Gaia”.  One of which is a limited “artist edition.” More of an art piece than a book, there are only 1000 numbered copies. The special edition “Gaia” contains 102 selected images and 12 gatefolds. But, we tried to create an artistic project more than just a “book.”   If I compared the special edition to a live-show, I would say the book is the stage, the photography is the character, the words are the music and “Gaia” is the show. Finally, there is a regular edition, a 180 page coffee table format, that hopefully people will want to enjoy to have that unique perspective of beautiful planet Earth.

Tell us about your One Drop Foundation?
I created ONE DROP in 2007 for 2 reasons: water is a source of inspiration for me and a horrible statistic that says that one human every 20 seconds dies for not having access to clean water. That is 180 people every hour! With ONE DROP, we aim at fighting poverty by providing access to water and raising awareness in order to make safe water accessible to all, in sufficient quantity, today and tomorrow.

Any plans to go back up with Richard Branson?
It’s funny you should ask that question, I actually saw him not very long ago and we talked about it. I reminded him that I had sent him an e-mail requesting the first seat (I never got an answer).  It is definitely something I am interested in. It is fascinating what is happening. If everyone could have access to what I saw, I am all for it. I had the privilege that only 500 humans have had.  I cherish that.

You founded Cirque du Soleil in 1984. Did you have any idea it would become the international sensation it has?
No. But I did have a dream. My dream was to travel and entertain. So, I knew the world was my destination. Cirque du Soleil was a lot of hard work but with so much satisfaction. Our journey was so fantastic and it still is.

Finally, what is your favorite treat?
My favorite treat for the soul is a beautiful sunset on the beach.  My favorite treat for the stomach is a good glass of wine.