Exhibit Explores History and Science of Aliens - Oklahoma Center for the Humanities
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Exhibit Explores History and Science of Aliens

Alien Worlds
101 Archer North Gallery
Feb. 7 – April 26, 2025

Since the beginning of time, we have looked to the skies with wonder, fear, hope, and curiosity as we try to imagine what could exist out in the cosmos.

Scoperte fatte nella luna dal Sigr. Herschell by Salvatore Fergola (Courtesy of the Library of Congress)

Historians believe that some of the earliest ideas surrounding life outside of Earth correlated to the ways that early humans envisioned deities. As humans gained a stronger understanding of our universe, through moments in scientific history like the Copernican Revolution and the publication of Charlies Darwin’s On Origin of Species, their understanding of extraterrestrials adapted. We document this trajectory from a 17th century lunar bat-human to heptapods from Arrival (2016) and beyond.

Astronomers Image Lowest-mass Exoplanet Around a Sun-like Star (courtesy of NASA/Goddard/S. Wiessinger)

We also consider the ideas and theories that allow scientists to imagine these extraterrestrials’ homes by considering work by NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) scientists. Thanks to their research, we now have a scientific and artistic look at the compositions of foreign moons and exoplanets, expanding our understanding of where life could persist.

This exhibit moves past astronomical understandings and also looks at ways humans have considered other Earthen cultures as “alien” across history and the globe. From European colonizers settling in American Indian territories, to Portugal’s history in Japan, and artistic depictions of crossing the European/Asian border, we’ve collected stories that span time and continents.

We also look at how the familiar can be considered alien when taking a certain perspective.

Map of Earthsea from fantasy series by Ursula K. Le Guin

However, the imagination extends beyond the scientific and Earthen. Fantasy books have, through the written word, crafted worlds that solely exist in the reader’s imagination. But with the inclusion of illustrated maps, cartographers and artists have been able to make the imaginary more tactical. We look at some of the most peculiar and memorable fantasy worlds, including Middle Earth, mapped exhaustively by Karen Wynn Fonstad.

Alien Worlds includes photos, audio recordings, videos and interactive elements that prompts audiences to delve into their minds and wonder…what else could be out there?

This exhibit runs Feb. 7 – April 26, 2025, at TU’s 101 Archer in the North Gallery. Our galleries are open Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon until 5 p.m. Special closures for private events will be announced on our social media pages. As always, admission is free.

Curation team:

Sean Latham

Alex Isaak

Danika Bryant

Nathan Blue

Nicole Bauer

This exhibit was made possible thanks to contributions from:

Alamy Stock Photo

BBC

Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana

European Southern Observatory (ESO)

European Space Agency (ESA)

David Hughes / Penn State

Getty Images

Gilcrease Museum

Leen Helmink Antique Maps

Library of Congress

McFarlin Library Special Collections

NASA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Science Foundation

Novosibirsk State University Siberian History Multimedia Center

Oakland Museum of California

Paramount Pictures

Philbrook Museum of Art

Reuters

UH Institute for Astronomy and Brooks Bays

Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Wikimedia Commons

Zurich Central Library