Task Eternal Exhibition Catalogue

Task Eternal
Task Eternal is a companion publication to the major exhibition of the same name opening at Powerhouse Parramatta on 7 November 2026. Developed over 4 years, Task Eternal is an expansive and immersive program tracing humanity’s enduring quest to defy gravity, take flight, journey into space and return. The publication has been developed as a cosmogram, tumbling around many and varied viewpoints, while loosely structured around a textual sculpture by artist Agatha Gothe-Snape. Spanning First Nations Sky Knowledges and early aviation to cutting edge aerospace innovation, ethics and speculative futures, Task Eternal holds: a reprint of Ted Chiang’s influential short story ‘The Tower of Babylon’, 15 new writing commissions by leading authors, insights from 13 featured artists and opinion pieces from dozens of subject matter experts — including aviators, astronauts, engineers, space architects, scientists and activists. Also featured are highlights from among the more than 600 exhibition objects, including items from the Powerhouse Collection and loans from leading local and international science and cultural institutions. Art Direction by Stuart Geddes and Žiga Testen of Graphic Design Works, Melbourne. Featuring principal photography by Annika Kafcaloudis.

FEATURED AUTHORS
Marina Benjamin, Daniel Browning, Willem Brussen, Ted Chiang, Ceridwen Dovey, Juan Francisco-Salazar, Sophie Gee, Agatha Gothe-Snape with Jaimee Edwards, Sarah Holland-Batt, Elmo Keep, Martin Kemp, Sarah Krasnostein and Peter Carey, Rachel Kushner, Susmita Mohanty, Fiona Murphy and Katrina Wruck

FEATURED ARTISTS 
Jananne Al-Ani, Master Bae Moosam, Gould Studio and Moral Studio, Naminapu Maymuru-White, Torlarp Larpjaroensook, Xin Liu, Miru Project, Mayr Nasr, Trevor Paglen, Tavares Strachan, James Turrell, Mayur and Tushar Vayeda and Melodie Yashar

ISBN 978-0-6455309-7-1