Before the compass

Before the compass, how did people map their place in the universe? This very question inspired artist @ZacLangdonPole, last year’s #BMWArtJourney recipient, to trace how humans have used star maps to navigate great distances over the millennia. ‘I was compelled by the idea that something as lofty and laden with awe as the stars could be a useful lens through which to explore more human and planetary truths,’ said the artist. On his celestial-mapping quest Langdon-Pole made his way through Western Europe, the Pacific islands of Hawai’i, the Marshall Islands, Samoa and New Zealand. The culmination of his journey makes its debut with @BMWGroupCulture at Art Basel Miami Beach: ‘Sutures of the Sky’ – an exhibition of new works in the Collectors Lounge – and ‘Constellations’, an accompanying publication. —