Giant Leap

Overview

Fly down the M5 all the way to the moon with this expansive exhibition at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, Giant Leap is a massive program of arts, events, performances and exhibitions that will take over CPAC from July 20 through September 8 — and most of it is free.

Within the exhibition space is Memories of the Moon Landing, which captures the 1969 moon landing with NASA photographs, video footage and memorabilia. Also installed in the museum is High Loom by artist Lisa Sammut, which reflects the 'movement and interaction of celestial bodies in space'. Then, Astronaut sees several artists join forces to create a series of works inspired by 'the impact of space travel on the body', 'the sounds of space' and the 'colonisation of new lands'.

Another collab piece Future examines 1950s and 1960s artworks to imagine futuristic cities. A panel discussion will take place alongside this exhibition on August 3, with scientists, architects and health and infrastructure professionals speaking on what the future could look like.

Finally, Under the Same Moon features work by local community groups and reviews beliefs and legends about the moon — including astrology, celestial events and UFOs. On August 11, you'll be able to tour the exhibition with local poets and storytellers, including Hedar Abadi and Jamal Al Hallaq.

Alongside Giant Leap, the Liverpool Regional Museum is presenting One Small Step from June 22–September 7. It's an interactive recreation of the Hilton Space Lounge from Stanley Kubrick's cult classic 2001: A Space Odyssey.

While some of the program is currently open to the public, it'll officially launch on Saturday, July 20 with a day of experimental live performances, astrology readings and a nighttime moon gazing. For the full program lineup and to book tickets, head to the CPAC website.

Images: High Loom by Lisa Sammut and Space Couch Family by Adam Norton