What's On
The UK’s largest Earth sculpture ‘Floating Earth’ is coming to Salford Quays this week
The artist behind the sculpture hopes it can encourage people to have ‘difficult conversations’ about climate change and the planet
The UK’s largest Earth sculpture is coming to Salford Quays this week with the aim to give people a glimpse of the beauty of our planet from afar.
Following its display at Pennington Flash last week, Floating Earth will be taking residency on the Quays as a part of Lightwaves 2021, a ten-day-long light and illuminations festival showcasing a whole array of artistic installations.
The cultivating sculpture was created by Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram, who has spent the last six months making his vision a reality.
Photographic Leigh
Luke Jerram
Having being completed just a few weeks ago, Floating Earth measures in at a staggering ten metres in diameter and features high resolution NASA imagery as well as a surround-sound musical track by BAFTA award-winning composer Dan Jones.
Jerram, an artist of over twenty-five years, spoke to Proper Manchester from the wind and the rain in Salford about the inspiration behind his sculpture, explaining how he hopes it can encourage people to have ‘difficult conversations about what we can do to save the planet.’
He said: “Floating Earth was inspired by something called ‘the overview effect’, which is what astronauts experience when they first go into space and look down on the Earth from afar.
“They become overwhelmed by the beauty and the wonder of what they see, and when they return to Earth they often become environmental campaigners.
Recon Images
Gemma Audley
“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.”
Floating Earth will be arriving at Salford Quays this Friday, December 3rd, where it will remain for ten days until December 12th. It will be joined by a number of bold new commissions at Lightwaves, which supports international artists alongside local and emerging talent.
This year’s commissions are all taking a focus on the message of protecting the planet and building a sustainable future.
For more information and to see the artistic lineup in full, visit the Quays Culture website.