Since Galileo in 1610 published the first depiction of the moon, seen through a telescope, people have been speculating about life on the satellite. In her book Astrotopia, Mary-Jane Rubenstein highlights how private individuals such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, who hold substantial economic power, are now taking on significant spaceflight endeavors that were previously the sole domain of nation-states. According to Rubenstein’s analysis, these billionaires are employing ancient prophetic approaches to promote the idea of colonizing space as the only option to avoid mass extinction. In comparing the competition between the Americans and Soviets, Deborah Cadbury has suggested that the Space Race has always been a subject of the political agenda, a way for countries to demonstrate technological superiority and ideological strength; the Artemis mission is an example of such an endeavour.

Conceived after President Trump’s Space Policy Directive 1 in 2017 the Lunar mission is a daring joint venture between NASA and private spaceflight companies. The mission aims to land the first woman and person of color on the Moon by 2026 and establish a permanent presence on the satellite to prepare for future Mars exploration.

In 2020 NASA announced an Open Call seeking new media partners to raise awareness of the Moon mission. The hope is that Agencies will go beyond the standard coverage on NASA TV by using advanced technologies, imagery applications, and approaches to create a sense of awe similar to the start of the Apollo missions in 1961.

Throughout the history of the Space Race, photography has played a crucial role, sparking debate, and serving both as propaganda and scientific evidence. The use of photography in space exploration raises critical inquiries into the relationship between images and truth, highlighting how photographs can shape public perception of scientific endeavors.

Building upon these insights and recognizing the contemporary landscape where truth and fiction intertwine, this project delves into a speculative exploration of the Artemis Mission’s documentation. We are presented with a fictional scenario where OLO, a fictional company, composed of Rocco Venezia and a diverse team of practitioners—designers, sound artists, architects and engineers—is the Media Partner recipient of the NASA Open Call.

OLO engages with the broader themes of space exploration and colonization while investigating the intricate interplay between technology, politics, and human ambition.

Featuring immersive sounds, installations, data visualizations, and videos the project features a pseudo-realistic portrayal of the events, places, people, and innovations that will lead up to the Moon landing of 2026. Central to this endeavor are AI- generated images—crafted as a synthesis of society’s collective consciousness of Space and the Moon—used in place of traditional photography to redefine the documentary form and question how emerging technologies shape our perception of reality.