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Aga Khan Museum: The Moon: A Voyage Through Time

Submitted by rasc@johnginder.com on 19 June 2019

March 9, 2019 - August 18, 2019
https://www.agakhanmuseum.org/exhibitions/the-moon

Since the dawn of civilization, the moon has captivated cultures. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, The Moon: A Voyage Through Time explores our enduring fascination with this enchanting orb in the sky and looks at the role it has played in faith, science, and the arts across the Muslim world and beyond. Interactive devices, displays, and installations invite us to observe and imagine the moon in new ways.

Millenia of Inspiration

The moon has inspired people the world over to create art, form beliefs, and strive for scientific understanding for thousands of years. Spanning pre-Islamic times to the present day, and delving into the arts, literature, and music, The Moon: A Voyage Through Time brings together important miniature paintings, scientific instruments, Islamic manuscripts, and contemporary works of art to illustrate the wonder at the moon that is shared among cultures.

An Immersive Exhibition Experience

Click here for a Virtual Reality exploration of the gallery

A highlight of the exhibition is Moon, a giant sculpture connecting the Museum’s first and second floors. Created by contemporary British artist Luke Jerram, the internally illuminated replica moon features detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface, includes a sound composition by BAFTA-winning composer Dan Jones, and measures five metres in diameter – to get an idea of scale, it would take 40 people standing shoulder to shoulder to circle the sculpture. “Jerram’s Moon looks ethereal – and almost hyperreal,” says Fast Company.

Artworks From Around the Globe

Pieces by contemporary artists and masterworks from the Aga Khan Museum are joined by loans from many prestigious international institutions, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland; Columbia University Libraries, New York City; Farjam Foundation, London; Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge; Morgan Library and Museum, New York City; Museum of the History of Science, Oxford; National Museum of World Culture, Amsterdam; Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto; University of Michigan Library, Ann Arbor; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; and Wereldmuseum (World Museum), Rotterdam.
 
Guest Curator: Dr. Christiane Gruber, Professor of Islamic Art, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Curator: Dr. Ulrike Al-Khamis, Director of Collections and Public Programs, Aga Khan Museum

RELATED PROGRAMMING

TALK 
The Moon: Mirror of Faith, Science, and the Arts with Dr. Christiane Gruber 
Saturday, March 9, 2:00pm

PERFORMANCE 
MoonVerse 
Wednesdays, April 3, 10, 17, 24, 6:00pm

LUNCHTIME TALK 
The Moon in Islamic Astronomy with Dr. Ingrid Hehmeyer 
Thursday, April 11, 1:00pm

ADULT WORKSHOP 
Celestial Jewellery-Making with Arzina Murji 
Sunday, April 14, 11:00am-4:00pm