The Earth Like You've Never Seen It Before

Far out! The CEO and co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté, turned his passion for street performance and busking into one of the biggest international entertainment companies in the world. To top that, he then proceeded to fly into the really wild blue yonder, becoming the first private Canadian space explorer in September of 2009. During his eleven-day stay on the International Space Station -- via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft -- Laliberté shot hundreds of photos of the earth that became a beautiful book, Gaia, published last summer by Assouline. Perhaps most importantly, he has used the experience to raise awareness about the importance of water. He donates the proceeds from the book and from sales of his photographs to an organization called ONE DROP, a non-profit that "educates and implements site-specific safe water solutions." Starting tonight, December 11, at 6 p.m., you can see over 40 of his photographic prints, each a unique view of the earth from over 350 kilometers in space. The show is up until January 5 at Marlborough Gallery (40 West 57th Street). Here's a taste.