2. Will Man Outgrow the Earth ? 1972

Editor: This is Sir Eduardo Paolozzi's "2. Will Man Outgrow the Earth ?", a magazine cover from the Tate Collections. It feels like a retro vision of space exploration. What sociopolitical context do you think informed this image? Curator: Paolozzi was engaging with post-war anxieties and aspirations. The image reflects a Cold War obsession with technological advancement and the potential, or threat, of expansion beyond Earth. What does it mean to "outgrow" our planet, especially considering the social inequalities present at the time? Editor: It's like a colonial project re-imagined, but with planets instead of countries? Curator: Precisely! It questions who gets to participate in this "manifest destiny" of space and what resources are being extracted or exploited in the process. Whose voices are amplified, and whose are silenced in this narrative of progress? Editor: So, it's not just about technology, but power dynamics? Curator: Absolutely. It asks us to consider the ethical dimensions of exploration and innovation, connecting space travel with earthly issues of inequality and social justice. Editor: I hadn't considered the inequalities. This shifts my perspective entirely. Curator: That's the point, isn't it? To see how art can reflect and critique the world around it.