As we were camping in Kent, I saw that Luke Jerram's latest installation following on from 'The Museum of the Moon was at Rochester Cathedral, so I had to book tickets. Even more mesmerising than the Museum of the Moon, the Earth being viewed in this way could be likened to how astronauts view the earth from space. Utterly beguiling, measuring 7 metres in diameter, again, using NASA's imagery to scale on this floating sphere, hung a spectacular setting.
The artwork is said to reflect major events in society. From COVID-19 to war in the Ukraine and other conflicts, the artwork provokes viewer to gain a perspective of our place on the planet; and give a sense that people of the Earth are all interconnected. After the lockdown and with economic interest in the environment, there has been a renewed respect for nature and this strong discourse has also been linked to 'Gaia' and the responsibility it is meant to invoke. Again, 'Gaia' is also accompanied by music composed by Dan Jones, sitting there in silence watching the earth spin to the music is hypnotic.
The event is running until 12th June. While there you can visit Rochester Castle or do a spot of shopping and grabbing a nice lunch. Rochester was a lovely town to visit. However 'Gaia' has other tour dates in the UK so if you can't make the next couple of days, then take a look here to see where else it is touring.
