Floating Earth set to be reinflated at Salford Quays later this week, artist confirms

The artist responsible for the Floating Earth sculpture currently on display at Salford Quays has confirmed it will be reinflated later this week.

Over the weekend, images of the dazzling sculpture seemingly ‘sinking’ and submerged by water started circulating on social media, with many expressing concerns that it had been damaged by the turbulent weather experienced on the Quays.

Lightwaves 2021 organisers Quays Culture took to Instagram on Saturday to confirm the cancellation, saying: “Due to unexpected weather conditions here at The Quays, we’ve had to remove power to Floating Earth and close it temporarily.”

However, Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram has told Proper Manchester today that his sculpture hadn’t ‘sunk’ and had instead been partially deflated as a precaution of the high winds experienced throughout the last couple of days.

According to Jerram, there was ‘no major problem’ and the sculpture will be reinflated and back to its original state on Thursday, December 9th. 

The Earth model, which measures 10 metres in diameter and features high resolution NASA imagery, was inspired by ‘the overview effect’, something astronauts experience when they first go into space and look down on the Earth from afar.

Speaking to Proper Manchester last week, Jerram said: “They [the astronauts] become overwhelmed by the beauty and the wonder of what they see, and when they return to Earth they often become environmental campaigners.

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“So Floating Earth is designed to give people this overview effect, and let them experience what it might be like for an astronaut up in space.”

Jerram also pointed out that Floating Earth was created to ‘help people have those difficult conversations about what we can do to make our lives more sustainable.’

He explained: “We’re using far too many resources and our carbon footprint is through the roof. We really have to change society very quickly if we’re to avoid a complete climate catastrophe.”

For more information and to see the Lightwaves 2021 artistic lineup in full, visit the Quays Culture website