The Moon – mysterious, enigmatic, changing, waxing, and waning. Throughout human history, the Moon has been an object of intrigue, reverence, and curiosity. It has influenced cultures, driven scientific discovery, fueled imagination and inspired creativity.
We have endeavoured to make sense of the great, celestial body that graces our nocturnal sky. From early theories about its influence on our behaviour to monumental astronomical achievements, we have always been driven by wonder and starry-eyed curiosity to discover the truths about Earth’s moon.
Our closest celestial neighbour, 384,400 km from the Earth, humans first reached the Moon more than 50 years ago, marking a momentous achievement in space exploration.
Today, the Moon once again beckons as the gateway to the Universe beyond.
WA Museum Boola Bardip’s new exhibition To the Moon takes a multiform approach to gaining a deeper understanding of the moon and its role in the story of humankind, from first steps to the future of space exploration.
Central to the exhibition is a lunar sample — a piece of moon rock on loan from NASA — collected during Apollo 17, the last of the Apollo programs missions to the Moon. The Moon rock is complimented by UK artist Luke Jerram’s incredible touring 'Museum of the Moon' installation. Jerram’s impressive scale replication of the Moon measures seven metres in diameter and features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface.
Manager, WA Museum Boola Bardip, Helen Simondson said the curatorial approach to this exhibition has been to focus on our deep fascination with the moon and its influence.
"Over half a century after the Apollo program ceased, the moon once again beckons. The NASA led Artemis program is a collaboration with many countries and private sector to prepare humans to return to the moon and this time it is to set up a colony and use this as a base to travel further into the cosmos to have the first humans land on Mars," she said.
"To the Moon is a timely exhibition as we look at the legacy of the Apollo program and the space race and look to the new opportunities in venturing back to the moon. Importantly we explore our eternal fascination with the moon as the spirit of the Apollo is rekindled in the new Artemis program."
To the Moon will venture further into the spiritual and cultural influence of the Moon through painted artworks by First Nations and a dynamic multiscreen installation remixing historical and contemporary portrayals of the Moon.
The exhibition takes a closer look at WA’s historical role in the Apollo 11 Moon landing, as well as the future of lunar exploration such as Artemis 1, a key step towards a sustainable human presence on the Moon and Mars.
To the Moon will include a Luna Lounge and Bar Zone, which functions as a Virtual Reality hub during the day and will be supported by a series of lunar-inspired programming.
Across seven exhibition zones, To the Moon invites new engagement with, and provides new perspectives on, this enigmatic celestial body that we all see and are influenced by.
The Eagle Has Landed:
Peek into a miniature 60’s lounge room diorama and witness Armstrong’s first steps on the moon just as 600 + million people saw the ‘nail biting’ descent of the Apollo 11 module ‘Eagle’ with only seconds left of fuel on July 20, 1969.
Dreaming the Moon:
Curated artworks by influential Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists vividly capture the intricate relationship First Nations peoples have with the moon.
Memento Moon / In Event of Moon Disaster:
View a moving multiscreen ‘mashup’ by artist Field Carr that pays homage to the Moon as a muse across cinema and television. Watch a thought-provoking documentary using the latest AI to portray an alternative history of the 69’ moon landing.
‘Museum of the Moon’:
An impressive scale replication of the moon and its surface created by UK artist Luke Jerram. Measuring seven meters in diameter, the moon features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. Each centimetre of the internally lit sculpture represents 5km of the Moon’s surface, at an approximate scale of 1:1500,000*.
Lunar Lounge:
nspired by the sci fi classic 2001 A Space Odyssey, this pop-up events space, will host lunar-inspired programs, a virtual reality experience and private functions.
Ode to the Moon:
Create an ‘Ode to the Moon’ and employ the digital collage writing technique that David Bowie used to create Space Oddity.
NASA’s Moon Rock:
When you arrive at the To the Moon a real piece of the Moon awaits you. One of the last pieces of moon sample collected from the final crewed NASA Apollo 17 mission.
Future of the Moon:
See a 3D model of the Space Launch System mega rocket and Orion that successfully launched as the first mission of the visionary Artemis program that will see humans return to the moon.
For more information visit: https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/boolabardip/tothemoon
