Apollo 11 mission July 20, 1969NASA

NASA

This photograph of extraterrestrial landscapes was taken by astronauts and machines under the auspices of NASA during the Apollo missions in 1969–71. Unprecedentedly, these scientific images were exhibited at an art exhibition venue, New York's Light Gallery, in 1979. Critics at the time remarked upon the similarities between these images and contemporary conceptual practices depicting elements of the American landscape being shown by leading art institutions. Aside from their scientific significance, these images of craters, footsteps, and portraits of the astronauts serve as documentation of the extraordinary human feat of the first landing on the moon.

MoMA, Gallery label from From the Collection: 1960-69, March 26, 2016 - March 12, 2017