The Apollo Prophecies

A CD arrived in the mail yesterday from Nicholas Kahn, containing a collection of images from Kahn & Selesnick’s new series: The Apollo Prophecies.

This installation features a continuous ten inch by thirty-six foot long black and white panoramic photograph depicting astronauts from the 1960s traveling to the moon and back. While on the lunar surface they discover a lost Edwardian expedition that may or may not be real. It was shot and assembled on sets or on location with miniature models and live actors. We are using the narrative techniques of Italian fresco cycles of the early Renaissance such as Masaccio’s Brancacci Chapel cycle. The story is told in multiple episodes featuring the same characters, appearing numerous times, within a single long panel. The use of this quasi-religious format echoes the concept of astronauts as gods.

Some snippets from this panorama follow below: click on them to see larger sections of the ‘single long panel’, bearing in mind that the full-size images are quite large, and may take some time to download.

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In addition to the long panoramic photograph there is a mass installation of small drawings and photographs. These feature Edwardian photographs of moon rocks, schematic drawings and design notes, portraits of astronauts, beaked and ‘debeaked’ i.e. Edwardian and Aquarian, ephemera, etc.

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Sculptural pieces are intended as artifacts of the Edwardian expedition. The exhibition at Pepper Gallery includes a large Edwardian lunar rover constructed of wood, featuring an expandable McCroskeyen bellows pump, protective metal helmet hood, pig iron chamber pot, and optional carved yoke for oxen, man, or horse. Also featured is a long display cabinet containing samples of lunar rock and dust along with a large pile of cans of Edwardian moon paste, a devotional palliative/exfolliate with curative properties.

All images are Copyright © Kahn & Selesnick, and are reproduced here with permission. The Apollo Prophecies will be on show at the Pepper Gallery in Boston until June 19th.