Six Artists Explore Their Relationship with Space

Six contemporary artists—Rachel Rose, Tom Sachs, Trevor Paglen, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Laurie Anderson, and Alicja Kwade—share their varied approaches to space and the moon. Rachel Rose (b. 1986) is fascinated by the idea of leaving her body and having a spiritual experience, inspired by astronauts. Tom Sachs (b. 1966) simulated a NASA mission and cites three reasons for going to the moon: spirituality, sensuality, and things. Trevor Paglen (b. 1974) uses photography to make visible objects we are otherwise unaware of, including abandoned satellites orbiting as space junk. Hiroshi Sugimoto (b. 1948) photographed the moon in a memorable series and then inverted the images. Laurie Anderson (b. 1947) went to the moon via virtual reality, guided by a childhood love of the sky. Alicja Kwade (b. 1979) transforms the satellite into a sculpture, returning it to its essential state of rock.