The Moon

20 July 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing and the first steps taken on the lunar surface by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. This exhibition is programmed to coincide with this significant milestone, and brings together artistic responses to the celestial body that orbits the Earth.

For centuries artists from many cultures have been inspired by the Moon, the most prominent feature of our night sky. The exhibition includes historical works created when the Moon could only be viewed from afar, works from the era of the 1960s space race, and more contemporary responses informed by the imagery and scientific knowledge acquired through space exploration.

Just as the Moon itself can be viewed from multiple vantage points from the Earth, works in the exhibition will be located throughout the galleries. Links with literature, film, music and science will also be explored, highlighting the Moon’s capacity to engender creativity and inquiry.

Across five key exhibition themes, The Moon will invite a new engagement with, and provide new perspectives on, this enigmatic celestial body that we all see and are influenced by.