Gaia

July 10, 2022

Gaia was a series of sustainability-themed events and reflections centered around Luke Jerram’s art installation.

Measuring seven metres in diameter, Gaia features 120dpi detailed imagery of the Earth’s surface from the NASA Visible Earth series. The artwork provides the opportunity to see our planet on this scale, floating in three-dimensions.

The installation creates a sense of the Overview Effect, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

The artwork also acts as a mirror to major events in society. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the artwork may provide the viewer with a new perspective of our place on the planet; a sense that societies of the Earth are all interconnected and that we have a responsibility toward one another. After the lockdown, there has been a renewed respect for nature.

Luke Jerram Video.MOV from Rochester Cathedral on Vimeo.

A specially made surround sound composition by BAFTA award winning Composer Dan Jones is played alongside the sculpture. In Greek Mythology Gaia is the personification of the Earth.

Gaia has been created in partnership with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Bluedot and the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres.

Rochester Cathedral would like to thank Rochester Riverside Community Fund and the National Lottery Together for our Planet for their support of this event.