A renowned Bristol artist has unveiled his latest installation in the city – a vast recreation of the planet Mars.
Luke Jerram’s spectacular sculpture is being exhibited from today (July 27) at the University of Bristol’s Wills Memorial Building and will be on show until Sunday, August 1.
Seven metres in diameter, the rotating replica of the planet features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Martian surface and at an approximate scale of a 1:1million, each centimetre of the spherical sculpture represents 10 kilometres of the planet’s surface.
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Capturing the planet in forensic detail, the internally-lit sculpture is fused with a surround-sound composition created by BAFTA-winning composer Dan Jones.
The installation allows visitors to view Mars from the air and transports us to its desert wasteland.
Every valley, polar ice cap, crater, volcano and mountain on show provides the viewers with an opportunity to study the surface in detail and to imagine what it would be like to step foot on the dynamic Red Planet.
Luke, who received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bristol in 2020, said: “This will be the first time I’ll have presented Mars slowly revolving, so I’m excited to see how this movement gives life to the sculpture.
“It’s a great pleasure to bring this new work to Bristol and the Great Hall of the Wills Building is such a great venue. I’m sure all the geologists and astronomers at the University will be excited to see Mars up close.”
‘Mars’ is the latest piece to be premiered in Bristol by artist Luke Jerram, who continues to share his creations with the city.
Previous works have included the spectacular Palm Temple, which was donated to the University of Bristol last year, the appearance of the Moon on the Floating Harbour and of course the giant 90-metre water slide on Park Street in 2014.
The exhibition is open until Sunday
(Image: John Myers)
Luke’s critically-acclaimed art has a powerful space theme and ‘Mars’ is the latest to join his portfolio of planets, which includes the spellbinding Gaia Earth Artwork which was hosted by the Cabot Institute for the Environment in the Wills Memorial Building in 2019.
Judith Squires, University of Bristol Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost said: “After a really challenging year we wanted to do something special for our staff and students.
“It is great to mark their achievements with another breath-taking sculpture from Luke Jerram and we hope that this inspirational synergy of art and science will speak to their University experience.
“Although Mars is only with us for a short time we are keen to ensure that the people of Bristol also have a chance to see it.”
Tickets
This will be a ticketed exhibition to ensure social distancing can be maintained.
Visit the following Eventbrite pages for more information and to book tickets:
Book tickets for Tuesday, July 27 – Friday, July 30 here
Book weekend tickets for Saturday, July 31 and Sunday, August 1 here
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