This out of this world artwork will be in Bristol until August 30.
After its visit being postponed in 2020, the long-awaited lunar installation that is Luke Jerram‘s Museum of the Moon has returned to Bristol this month. Visitors will get the chance to experience possibly the closest you’ll get to the Moon’s surface in this lifetime, unless you have a rocket that is.
Measuring seven metres in diameter, the moon features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre of the internally-lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the moon’s surface.
Jerram’s inflatable moon was first presented in the city at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta in June 2016, but very high winds caused it to burst after only a few minutes of being showcased. It was then quickly repaired and the same, original moon has been exhibited across the world, travelling to 22 different countries in 2019, but now it will be up at Bristol Cathedral, as well as the Kensington + Chelsea Festival during August.
Over its lifetime, the Museum of the Moon is being presented in a number of different ways both indoors and outdoors, so altering the experience and interpretation of the artwork. As it travels from place to place, it gathers new musical compositions and an ongoing collection of personal responses, stories and mythologies, as well as highlighting the latest moon science.
The installation is a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound composition created by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award-winning Bristol-based composer Dan Jones. The Museum of the Moon be on display in the crossing of Bristol Cathedral from August 11 to Bank Holiday Monday, August 30, with opportunities to book to experience the artwork in the evenings as well.
The Very Revd Dr Mandy Ford, Dean of Bristol, said: “We are thrilled to be hosting this wonderful installation, by world renowned Bristol artist, Luke Jerram, in Bristol Cathedral. I hope that the Moon will inspire stories, songs, adventures, awe and wonder in everyone who visits us this summer.”
The artwork is free to visit but donations from visitors to see the Moon will go towards the work of the charity St Mungo’s, who work towards ending homelessness and rebuilding the lives of those affected by it. To deepen your experience of this exceptional artwork, Bristol Cathedral will also be offering a curated programme of events, run in collaboration with other Bristol institutions, including concerts, recitals, children’s craft events, and more.