In 1975, the Belgian artist Marcel Broodthaers conceived The Conquest of Space, Atlas for the Use of Artists and Soldiers – a work consisting of a tiny book (about 4x2 cm), complemented by a poster. Its 38 pages feature silhouettes of 32 countries, most of which from the northern hemisphere, organized alphabetically and presented at exactly the same height.

In 2015, American artist Joe Scanlan founded the Broodthaers Society of America – an organization dedicated to analyzing the resonances and influence of the Belgian artist's work in the political and cultural context of the United States. In addition to promoting exhibitions and other events, the Broodthaers Society houses a growing archive of more than 200 items of printed matter that the Belgian produced throughout his life or that others produced under the influence of his work.

In 2020, Scanlan designed Expanded Atlas. Simultaneously a Pop Art object and an overstuffed facsimile, the work is an XXL version of Broodthaers' original. Easier to consult and nicer to handle, the new version includes at least one country for each letter of the alphabet, with the new entries subject to criteria of diversity, equity, and inclusion, favoring countries in the southern hemisphere and others that did not exist when Atlas was first published.

In addition to presenting the premiere of Scanlan’s piece, the exhibition will include more than 20 facsimiles that other artists, galleries, and museums have produced from Marcel Broodthaers’ originals, as well as facsimiles or versions that he himself made of his work and the work of artists such as Mallarmé or Baudelaire, all coming from the Broodthaers Society’s collection.