Get ready for lift-off

In an exhibition and series of events lasting just five days, science/arts agency The Arts Catalyst aims to rethink the human desire to leave Earth behind. Aleksandra Mir will construct a 22m rocket that doesn't go anywhere, while N55 and Neal White will install a Space On Earth Station that replicates Mars rehearsal modules in the car park.

Live events include an evening of 'space music' mixed by Jerry Dammers of The Specials, a film night screening Russian documentary First On The Moon as well as a film project by Jane and Louise Wilson, and the reassuringly titled multimedia finale We're All Going To Die.

The highlights are two talks by artists who have ventured where few have gone before. On Tuesday, Nasa's first – and last – artist-in-residence Laurie Anderson will make a rare appearance to discuss her otherworldly experiences. And on Sunday, one of the only 12 men who have walked on the Moon will talk about the effect of space flight on the human mind. Alan Bean's experience was so powerful that he became an artist when he returned to Earth.

"Astronauts were essentially a bunch of military pilots, and their actions changed how all of humanity viewed itself," says director of The Arts Catalyst, Nicola Triscott.

"Not all of them knew what to do with that experience – they had to explore the grey areas, and that's what artists are best at. You could say the Apollo programme was one of the most successful art projects of all time, with a cultural impact as great as its scientific achievements." Space exploration might not be such a great leap for artists, after all. Fiona Macdonald

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