If you've ever been to a Cirque du Soleil performance you probably described it as out of this world. So, it isn't too surprising that the creator of Cirque du Soleil, the fearless visionary Guy Laliberté, would leap at the opportunity to visit space as part of the International Space Station in 2009. LaLiberté celebrates and chronicles his journey in GAIA - a stunning book published by Assouline that shares 149 images of the Earth captured by Laliberté during his 11 day space journey in 2009.
Guy Laliberté, Creator of Cirque du Soleil, Space Traveler, and founder of One Drop.
I had the opportunity to chat with Mr. Laliberté at a book party co-hosted by the Italian Trade Commission at the Kiton townhouse in New York City. I was really curious to learn about his journey from street musician, to the founder of Cirque du Soleil, and now, space traveler.
"I had always dreamed of traveling and the fastest way I found to get on the road and discover the planet was picking up an accordion of my father’s and start to be a musician on the street. And, then I discovered the pleasure of entertaining people – this is where I came from. And, obviously, all my life, I wanted to discover new places and space was the ultimate traveling experience," said Laliberté.
The images in GAIA are truly stunning - our planet looks both abstract and familiar, powerful and vulnerable. GAIA is $65 and there is also a special edition offered for $875 and a limited edition for $7000. Proceeds from GAIA benefit One Drop, an organization founded by Laliberté to promote global access to clean water.
