The Afronauts

Cristina de Middel
The Afronauts

Photographs: Cristina de Middel

Text: Cristina de Middel

Publisher: Self-published

88 pages

Year: 2012

Comments: Heavy softcover with rubber band, 230 x 170 mm. First edition, 2012. Text in english. Design by Cristina de Middel, Laia Abril and Ramon Pez. Finalist of Paris Photo Aperture First book award in 2012. Original edition in very good edition.

In 1964 a Zambian science teacher named Edwuard Makuka decided to train the first African crew to travel to the moon. His plan was to use an alluminium rocket to put a woman, two cats and a missionary into Space. First the moon, then Mars, using a catapult system. He founded the Zambia National Academy of Science, Space Research and Astronomical Research to start training his Afronauts in his headquarters located only 20 miles from Lusaka.

Includes transparent and opaque papers, images of different formats, and texts folded in, so that the narrative is constructed in a diverse, intruiging way.