In 1957, humanity began its grand journey into space with the launch of the first satellite. That milestone forever altered how people perceived the scale of the cosmos and affirmed Earth as the sole known cradle of life within our solar system.
This idea sits at the heart of an exhibition titled Other Worlds. A voyage through the solar system unfolds along the Alicante Harbor Promenade until July 24, presented by the La Caixa Foundation. The show highlights the visual heritage of space missions, the scientific insights they yield, and the lasting significance of that imagery in the history of photography.
Michael Benson, a writer, artist, and filmmaker, collaborates with photographs amassed by NASA and the European Space Agency since the 1960s. His work reimagines these images so that viewers might glimpse the planets as if they were there—standing on the rim of a Martian crater or surveying the stark vistas of Venus.
A man looking at one of the photos Alex Dominguez
Forty pictures
Forty selections from this vast archive are enlarged for display, inviting reflection on a journey from the Sun to distant icy worlds and back to Earth. The curator notes that the exhibition reminds visitors of human smallness and stresses the urgency of safeguarding our only habitable planet, a sentiment echoed during the opening remarks.
The images originate as monochrome captures from probes sent into space. Benson transforms them, allowing a viewer to imagine a stroll across Martian plains or a stand at the edge of a crater on a distant moon, experiencing the terrain as a human traveler would. The exhibition makes distant worlds feel tactile, inviting an intimate sense of exploration.
One of the photographs showing the surface of Mars. Alex Dominguez
You can observe the Sun from a remarkable vantage, its light revealing details that help scientists understand how nearby stars appear. The display also highlights near-Earth objects and minor planets in close orbits, such as Mercury, illustrating both extreme heat and frigid cold on the same body.
Discussions extend to distant horizons, noting that more than 200 million kilometers separate observers from the scene of Mars and that this is a moment in which humanity may imagine walking on its surface as if stepping onto a neighboring rock. The show marks the 2006 reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet and presents snapshots of the Moon’s satellites, where rock and subsurface oceans hold secrets yet to be uncovered.
A view from the exhibition.
An especially striking image captures Earth as seen from the Moon’s horizon, a perspective popularized by the Apollo missions. The display echoes the historic Apollo 8 moment, inviting viewers to contemplate future lunar landings and how this opposing view reshapes understandings of our home planet.
Officials responsible for the Alicante cultural scene highlighted the exhibit’s value. The opening drew attention to learning opportunities and the sense of community it fosters, with discussions that blend science, art, and history to create a space where curiosity and enjoyment coexist.
Present at the opening were regional leaders who emphasized the significance of the collaboration supporting the show and its place within the broader cultural landscape of the city.