In 1964 the newly independent nation of Zambia began a space program with the intention of putting the first African on the Moon. The program was short-lived, but it reflected the excitement and ambitions of a young country.

Based on this story, Spanish artist, Cristina de Middel created ‘The Afronauts’, a body of photographs, drawings and related sculptures. Ms. Middel’s faux re-creation includes photographs shot in Spain of people wearing spacesuits sewn from African fabric, and helmets that were streetlamp globes. Archival shots of African villages are altered to include midcentury astronauts. Defunct concrete-mixing drums double as space capsules, and an image shot in Monument Valley is a reference to U.F.O.’s and otherworldly landscapes.

The Afronauts has been labelled by the New York Times as ‘…a smart and charming show. Rather than ridiculing Zambia’s ambitions, Middel compares them to the dreams of other nations and peoples. But the subject here is also photography as Middel shows how the medium promotes both fact and fiction — and how ultimately this helped fuel the space race.’

In 2013, de Middel was nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize for The Afronauts and received the Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography.
Rather than ridiculing Zambia’s ambitions, Middel compares them to the dreams of other nations and peoples. But the subject here is also photography as Middel shows how the medium promotes both fact and fiction. – The New York Times