Belgium's Van Hoeydonck, first artist to exhibit on Moon, dies
Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck, who made what was for decades the only work of art on the Moon, died on Saturday aged 99, his family said on Facebook.
Born on Oct 8, 1925, Van Hoeydonck was a prolific artist whose works spanned sculpture, painting, drawing, collage and graphic design.
He is best known for Fallen Astronaut , an aluminium sculpture left on the moon in 1971 by the crew of the Apollo 15 spacecraft, in homage to their fallen colleagues.
It was the first and, for decades, the only work of art on show on the Moon's surface.
In February 2024, Fallen Astronaut was joined by 125 miniature sculptures by the American artist Jeff Koons. - AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
13 hours ago
- The Star
Pedro Pascal hopes to give Marvel bounce with Fantastic Four reboot
The Fantastic Four actors Pascal (left) and Kirby play a superpower couple in the movie who's ready to welcome their child into the world. — AP American-Chilean actor Pedro Pascal stars as a stretchy Earth saviour in Marvel's latest blockbuster The Fantastic Four: First Steps , out now at cinemas, that will test the appetite for more superhero films. After wielding a sword in Gladiator 2 and a gun in The Last Of Us , the 50-year-old plays the elastic Mister Fantastic alongside the character's wife, the Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), his best friend the Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and his brother-in-law the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn). The film is set in a retro-futuristic New York and is hoping to do better than previous reboots of the franchise which have struggled at the box office. The plot sees Mister Fantastic and his wife overwhelmed with joy at a long-hoped-for positive pregnancy test before their lives are upended by news that Galactus, a galactic Godzilla-like character who devours planets, is heading for Earth. While such apocalyptic threats are nothing new in the Marvel universe – or in previous Fantastic Four films – the pregnancy storyline is a rare twist in the world of superheroes. 'Motherhood is something that you can incorporate in all areas of your life, it affects every area of your life in a beautiful way,' Kirby told journalists at a recent press event in Paris. In his double role as superhero and doting dad, Pascal continues to shape his image of a thoughtful, emotionally intelligent man that fuels his popularity. 'I'm not original by any means when it comes to human decency,' he told reporters in Paris, adding that treating people and himself with respect was 'a human thing and I think a very, very basic and beautiful standard to live by'. Previous versions of the Fantastic Four franchise from the Marvel stable – which includes X-Men, the Avengers, Iron Man and Spider-Man – have been resounding flops. A 2015 remake made just US$168mil (RM708.29mil today) at the global box office. Variety magazine wrote that the latest incarnation 'succeeds where earlier attempts have faltered – and good thing, too, since the studio has a lot more riding on this franchise now'. Marvel movies would earn 'upwards of US$1bil (RM4.22bil) at the box office' at their peak, 'but they've lost steam of late', the magazine noted. Marvel has struggled this year to score with audiences, with its biggest releases Thunderbolts and Captain America: Brave New World struggling for acclaim. – AFP
New Straits Times
18 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Lebanon mourns Ziad Rahbani, enfant terrible of stage and song
LEBANON mourned musician and composer Ziad Rahbani, son of iconic singer Fairuz and a musical pioneer in his own right, who died on Saturday aged 69 after a decades-long career that revolutionised the country's artistic scene. Tributes poured in for Rahbani, also a playwright and considered the enfant terrible of Lebanese music, who left a huge mark on multiple generations with his often satirical plays and songs that for many reflected a deep understanding of Lebanon's political and economic reality. "On Saturday at 9am (0600 GMT), the heart of the great artist and creator Ziad Rahbani stopped beating," said a statement from the Beirut hospital where he was being treated. He had suffered ill-health in recent years that also impacted his artistic activity. His funeral is to be held on Monday at 4pm at a church in Bikfaya outside Beirut, according to a notice from the family. Rebellious and visionary, Rahbani's work foreshadowed Lebanon's civil war before it erupted in 1975, and later reflected the conflict and the harsh realities of the ensuing economic crisis. His fame extended to the rest of the Arab world and beyond. One of his most famous theatre pieces, "Film Ameriki Tawil", or "The American Motion Picture", was a satirical depiction of Lebanon during the civil war, set in an asylum populated with characters who represented different facets of society. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement that Rahbani was "a voice that rebelled against injustice, an honest mirror for the oppressed and marginalised." Culture Minister Ghassan Salame wrote on X that "we dreaded this day as we knew his health was worsening and that his desire for treatment was dwindling." Rahbani was the son of Arab musical icon Fairuz, who turned 90 last year, and the late Lebanese composer Assi Rahbani, who along with his brother Mansour modernised Arab music by blending Western, Russian and Latin American sounds with Eastern rhythms. Already adored by older generations, Fairuz became a youth idol when her son began composing jazz-influenced songs for her, calling the result "Oriental jazz." While Fairuz transcended Lebanon's deep sectarian divides, her son was fiercely left-wing, secular and a supporter of the Palestinian cause – but was also beloved by many on the opposite side of the political spectrum. He spent his life decrying the divisions that brought ruin upon his country. In 2018, he performed at Lebanon's annual Beiteddine festival with a musical showcase of his and his family's decades of work – one of his last major onstage appearances. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said "Lebanon has lost an exceptional artist and creative, a free voice who stayed faithful to the values of justice and dignity", and who said "what many don't dare to say." Lebanese actress Carmen Lebbos, his former partner, wrote on X: "I feel like everything has gone. I feel like Lebanon has become empty." Lebanese journalist Doha Shams, who knew Rahbani for three decades, told AFP that "Ziad was our conscience, the conscience of Lebanese society, and the person who understood Lebanese society the most – and knew where it was going."
The Star
21 hours ago
- The Star
'Tron: Ares' brings light cycles and Nine Inch Nails soundtrack, to Comic-Con
Atmosphere at the Tron: Ares panel in Hall H of the convention center during Comic Con International in San Diego, California on July 25, 2025. (Photo by Chris DELMAS/ AFP) The Grid took over Comic-Con on Friday, bringing the stars of the new Tron: Ares films to unveil footage and reveal the story behind the franchise's third movie. The film stars Jared Leto, Jeff Bridges, Greta Lee and Jodie Turner-Smith as the story brings the virtual environment of the Grid, complete with light cylces, into the real world. Disney showed off several minutes of footage, including a light cycle chase scene in the real world and another in the red-hued Grid. Propelling the onscreen action is a propulsive Nine Inch Nails soundtrack. "It's fun to see it on the big screen for the first time,' said director Joachim Rønning. Disney turned the Hall H panel into a spectacle, with red lasers filling the room and characters in suits with red lights entering the massive hall. Asked what excited her about joining the Tron franchise, Lee responded: "I just wanted to ride a light cycle.' Leto spoke affectionately about the original saying: "This movie just grabbed a hold of me and took me to a place that I'd never been before. It kind of rattled my imagination and it kind of showed me what was possible in the world.' He praised Bridges and Steven Lisberger, who created Tron and directed the 1982 original. Lisberger attended Friday's panel and laid out his case for why the franchise remains relevant. "My feeling about Tron is that the most important thing is we kick this technology around artistically before it kicks us around,' Lisberger said. "I am weary about hearing all the grim news about the future,' he said, and the way he thinks it can be avoided is to "inspire young people what can be done with this technology.' Friday's panel ended with the premiere of the music video for As Alive as You Need Me to Be , the first Nine Inch Nails song from the soundtrack. Tron has never been in the top tier of sci-fi franchises. The original 1982 film starring Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a man sucked into a computer vortex known as the Grid, was admired for its ground-breaking concept and effects, and was a modest hit with moderately good reviews. Perhaps more importantly, it won a cult following and has been maintained enough in cultural memory to remain a valuable property for Disney. The 2010 film Tron: Legacy , starring Bridges and Garrett Hedlund, made more than US$400mil globally. A TV show that followed, Tron: Uprising , lasted just one season. Rønning has helmed other Disney franchise films: 2017's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and 2019's Maleficent: Mistress of Evil . The Norweigan director said he was interested because he dreamed about making a sci-fi film and enjoyed the twist of Ares bringing the Grid into the real world. Leto and Bridges are both Oscar winners, and Rønning is an Oscar nominee. – AP
