Michael Najjar is a German artist and explorer whose work moves between the terrestrial and the cosmic, blending photography, digital construction and speculative vision. A future Virgin Galactic astronaut expected to fly aboard Virgin Spaceship Unity (VSS Unity) in 2027, he is set to become the first contemporary artist to travel into space. Najjar’s work charts a world shaped by technology, infrastructure and human ambition. Through his lens, space becomes both a visual subject and a tangible frontier, raising larger questions about perception, progress and the future.
Now featured on Samsung Art TVs1 as part of the new Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 Collection, Najjar’s “europa” (2016) brings that expansive visual language into the home. Available exclusively on Samsung Art Store, the work extends the experience of Art Basel beyond the fair, revealing new layers of detail through Samsung’s display technology.
Samsung Newsroom spoke with Najjar about his visual language, the ideas behind his work and the role art can play in everyday environments.
Q. Much of your work explores how we imagine and experience worlds beyond our immediate surroundings. What continues to inspire you about space as a subject?
I have had a lifelong fascination with space travel. As a young boy, Star Trek had a huge impact on me. Later, I read books by Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke.
Films like Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” remain constant sources of inspiration. Many of these visionary ideas are now turning into reality, which I find absolutely fascinating.
“We live in a time where experiences increasingly shift into virtual space.”
— Michael Najjar, artist and explorer
Q. Art and space exploration may seem like very different pursuits, but both have become central to your career. How did the path of artist and astronaut take shape in your life, and which came first?
I believe art and space exploration have been closely intertwined since the early Apollo missions — think of Robert Rauschenberg or Andy Warhol. When I began my “outer space” series in 2011, it was immediately clear to me that space exploration was entering a new phase, with a technological leap driven by the rise of private space companies.
In recent years, technological innovation has accelerated human activity in outer space, raising civilizational, ethical and geopolitical questions and calling for a new discourse on humanity’s expansion beyond our home planet. My series now includes over 80 artworks documenting the rise of the new space era.
Q. What feels most meaningful to you about presenting your work through Art Basel Hong Kong?
Art Basel Hong Kong connects global audiences with ideas beyond borders. Sharing my work here amplifies its reach and situates it within a broader dialogue about technology, space exploration and the future of human civilization.
Q. How do direct experiences like travel, expeditions and extreme environments shape the way you research and build an image?
We live in a time where experiences increasingly shift into virtual space. For me, physical engagement is essential: I develop concepts through dialogue with scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs, and by testing my own physical and mental limits in extreme conditions such as mountain climbing, glacier crossings and astronaut training. These experiences form the foundation of my artistic work. I like the expression “build an image” — that’s exactly what I do. The process, from the very first idea to the final artwork on the wall, can sometimes take more than a year.
Q. Technology has changed the way people create and experience art in major ways. Over the course of your career, how has that shift influenced your practice?
For me, technology has always been both a medium and a subject. I have always been fascinated by the impact of new technologies on society. Early in my career, it was about the digitalization of the photographic process; later, with the rise of the internet, interconnectivity and data flows became central. With AI, we are entering an entirely new universe, being propelled at light speed, with the risk of being swallowed by a vast black hole. What has truly changed over the past three decades is the speed of technological evolution — acceleration shapes every aspect of our human existence. Today, the focus is on the transformative power of artificial intelligence.
“It always makes a difference if you go somewhere to look at art or if you live with art.”
Q. “europa” feels closely connected to your interest in space and the unknown. Can you tell us more about the ideas behind the piece and the kind of response you hope it creates for viewers?
Europa is an extraordinary icy world, its entire surface covered by a thick ice shell several kilometers deep. Solid scientific evidence now shows that beneath this shell lies a 100-kilometer-deep saltwater ocean, possibly containing more than twice the water on Earth. There is also a high probability that Europa has the right conditions to support life.
Q. “europa” is one of the works featured in this year’s Art Basel Hong Kong collection on Samsung Art Store. What makes it a compelling piece to encounter digitally at home?
The work “europa” visualizes the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa, one of the most likely places to find life outside Earth. The visual composition — very much inspired by German painter Caspar David Friedrich — fuses landscape portraits photographed in a glacier region of Iceland with images of the surface of the Europa moon taken by the flyby Galileo space probe. The work also conveys humankind’s irrepressible urge to discover new worlds and learn more about the origins of human life.
“Staring at stunning artworks on a Samsung TV can be way more thrilling than binge-watching the latest streaming series.”
Q. Samsung Art Store makes it possible for people to discover and experience art as part of everyday life. What does that kind of accessibility mean to you as an artist?
Samsung Art Store is about making art more accessible, interactive and part of everyday living, rather than confined to physical spaces like galleries, museums or art fairs. The artwork reaches people unexpectedly, inviting reflection in daily moments. I really like that idea!
Q. Does knowing that viewers may encounter your work at home change the way you think about how it is seen or experienced?
Well, many of my collectors have my artworks hanging at home. Knowing that people can now experience the work at home through Samsung Art TV adds a new dimension. It always makes a difference if you go somewhere to look at art or if you live with art.
Q. If someone encounters your work for the first time through Samsung Art Store, what do you hope they notice or take away from the experience?
I hope they realize that staring at stunning artworks on a Samsung TV can be way more thrilling than binge-watching the latest streaming series.
“Samsung Art Store is about making art more accessible, interactive and part of everyday living, rather than confined to physical spaces like galleries, museums or art fairs.”
Samsung Electronics serves as the official display of Art Basel and launches the Art Basel Collections on Samsung Art Store. These curated digital exhibitions are available exclusively on Samsung Art Store and feature artists showcased at four Art Basel venues — Hong Kong, Basel, Paris and Miami Beach. Samsung Art Store brings together more than 5,000 artworks in 4K from over 800 artists and 80+ partners in a single subscription service. Available across Samsung’s expanded 2026 Art TV lineup, it offers a new way to live with art through screens designed to fit naturally into everyday interiors.
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