UK artist Luke Jerram returns to Melbourne with Gaia, following a successful season showing his illuminated installation, Museum of the Moon, in Federation Square. This time around, the Earth is his subject: a 7-metre wide, internally-lit sculpture rendered with detailed NASA imagery of our beloved blue planet, rotating once every four minutes. The artwork is accompanied by a bespoke soundtrack made by BAFTA Award-winning composer Dan Jones.
Here Jerram hopes to invoke the Overview Effect in everyday people – a feeling of awe at the scale of our universe that often inspires renewed awareness of the fragility of life. Astronauts famously describe viewing the Earth from this perspective as a 'cognitive shift' that allows them to discover human connectedness and an understanding of our responsibilities to the planet.
Experience it yourself at St Paul's Cathedral for free until July 11.