Following a sold-out installation in summer 2020, the monumental Gaia sculpture is returning to the Old Royal Naval College this summer. Gaia will be displayed in the magnificent Painted Hall for a month, including late night openings. The sculpture by Luke Jerram amazes audiences as it rotates slowly while suspended in mid-air, an exact scale replica of Earth made using NASA imagery.
The artwork aims to inspire a sense of the ‘Overview Effect’ that astronauts experience when they see Earth from space – feelings of awe, and an understanding of the interconnection of all life, particularly profound after a year when many people have been unable to connect with others due to the pandemic. Gaia acts as a mirror to society to provide the viewer with a new perspective of our precious planet, its outdoor spaces and nature, and the importance of being connected.
The internally-lit Gaia is 1.8 million times smaller than Earth, with each centimetre of the sculpture representing18km of the Earth’s surface. By standing 211metres away from the slowly rotating artwork, viewers can see the Earth as it appears from the moon while enjoying a specially made surround-sound composition by BAFTA award-winning composer Dan Jones. The sculpture provides an opportunity for visitors to the Painted Hall to view Earth as it appears from space, floating in three dimensions like a ‘blue marble’.
The Gaia installation is in place until Thursday 1 July 2021.
The Old Royal Naval College has reopened its beautiful outdoor grounds, café and gift shops and the Old Brewery is reopening for outdoor dining, and there will be pop-up food stalls outdoors every weekend, with picnic baskets and deck chairs available for visitors.
