Luke Jerram's Earth art exhibition Gaia lands at Rochester Cathedral

Luke Jerram’s spectacular art installation, Gaia, will be hung inside the magnificent Rochester Cathedral this month.

The exhibition, which shows the planet from a new perspective in one of England’s oldest cathedrals, opens to the public on Tuesday, May 24.

Gaia, is an illuminated sculpture of planet Earth, was originally due to arrive in the historic Medway town in February, but the opening was postponed.

The stunning seven-metre wide globe was created by visual artist Luke Jerram, who lives in the UK but has been touring his large-scale art installations all over the world since 1997.

This latest exhibition has already impressed audiences around the world, including Taiwan and Hong Kong.

It follows the artist's groundbreaking lunar spectacle, the Museum of the Moon, which was shown in Rochester in 2020, and the success of sell-out light show, Space Voyage, by Luxmuralis inside the cathedral last year.

Gaia uses detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface to provide visitors to the cathedral with a unique perspective of our own planet floating in three dimensions.

The artwork aims to put visitors in the shoes of an astronaut and provoke wider thought about the planet's place in the universe.

A specially made surround sound composition by BAFTA-award winning composer Dan Jones will also be played alongside the exhibition.

The installation is all part of a new initiative from the Church of England, which has outlined its intentions to be net carbon zero by 2030, focussing on climate change.

During your visit, you will be encouraged to think about how you can play a part in fighting climate change, easing the strain on the environment and protecting the planet’s wildlife and ecosystems.

Gaia will be at Rochester Cathedral from Tuesday, May 24 to Sunday, June 12. Entry is free, but must be booked online in advance here - but be quick, as some dates have already sold out.