Unless you’re into conspiracy theories about the Apollo 11 lunar landing which took place half a century ago, there isn’t a reason to avoid the celebration of the big first step for mankind that happened on Jul 20, 1969. Commemorating this historical and pivotal moment in mankind’s space exploration journey is Moongazers by the ArtScience Museum, featuring an extensive three-day programme of workshops, talks and performances from Jul 18-20.
The event begins with the film screening of First Man, part of Moongazer’s ArtScience on Screen: Moon Heroes. Based on a true story, the movie profiles American astronaut Neil Armstrong (played by the charming Ryan Gosling) and his highly-emotional, not to mention tenuous, preparation process behind his first step onto the moon. There’ll also be the showing of Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo, a film about the operations and support crew that made the NASA expedition possible.
Photo credit: MoonShadow Stories
For performances, expect riveting, storytelling sessions of myths and folklore about the moon, with In Love with the Moon by master storyteller Kamini Ramachandran from MoonShadow Stories; AI-Qamar (Arabic for: The Moon) by art collective Wright Assembly, which features a poetry-and-sound performance about Islamic astronomy; as well as a collaborative, movement-based performance art piece Beyond the Silver Glow, by artists Nada (Safuan Johari and Rizman Putra), Kiat and Deborah Emmanuel.
Also, get to learn about Singapore’s role in space tech at Taking off: Singapore in Space. Experts in the field will share their expertise as panelists and speakers, which include the likes of CEO and founder of Equatorial Space Industries Simon Gwozdz, as well as Lim Wee Seng, Executive Director of Satellite Research Centre at NTU.
Ever wanted to build your own rocketship? Now you can, as Moongazer’s Operation: Moonshot will allow you to craft your own mini Apollo 11 rubber rocket with the guidance of astronomers, who will also teach you how to gauge the stars and create astrolabes.
And if that’s not enough, ArtScience Museum will also be granting visitors free, late-night entry to their exhibition Floating Utopias on all three days, from 7-10pm, so there’s really something for everyone.
Moongazers is held at ArtScience Museum from Jul 18-20. Admission is free. More information here.
