Fallen Astronaut
1971
Sculpture, 8.5 x 3 x 1 cm.
Materials: aluminium
Collection: Collection M HKA, Antwerp (Inv. no. S0456).
Fallen Astronaut by the Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck is the first – and so far the only – artwork on the moon. It is a highly distilled but recognisable human figure (neither a man nor a woman) christened Fallen Astronaut, made at the request of astronauts as a tribute to all their colleagues who have died in space. The universe has always been a source of fascination for Van Hoeydonck, who was already creating Space Art in the 60s and 70s.