What a planet!
Like the ‘Museum of the Moon’ and ‘Earth: Gaia’ from Luke Jerram which has already been exhibited at Peterborough Cathedral, the planet Mars has arrived in grand style too. Mars: After Dark.
You can view this artistic masterpiece during the Cathedral’s normal opening hours for free, but Mars comes alive after dark when the lights are turned down low. It’s worth getting a ticket so you can not only see it, but experience it. There’s no way are you not going to want to take a photo.
Mars is displayed overhead and is 7 metres in diameter at a scale of 1:1 million. So each centimetre that you see is a massive 10kilometres on Mars! Standing underneath allows you a close perspective on the planet. In fact you can see every crater, every volcano, valleys, mountain and seas on its surface as you’ve never seen them before and when you think about the actual size of this in reality, it’s impossible.
The idea behind the third artistic installation by Luke Jerram is that when watching or viewing the red planet you contemplate the beauty of it as well as highlighting the injustice and effects of war. Thus the exhibition during the day called Mars: War & Peace.
The experience tonight was of wonder as I took time to just look at the planet after taking umpteen photos and videos. Hung up in very peaceful setting with music and background noises all add to its glowing effect, it doesn’t matter where you are looking from. Accompanying the Mars sculpture is a newly created sound composition by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award-winning composer Dan Jones. Featuring the sounds of seas, deserts and clips from NASA missions to Mars, it also incorporates the sounds of distant bombing and people marching, as if to war.
Mars will be on display by the cathedral until January 29th when it will then move on to Exeter Cathedral. So you don’t have long to get a visit in. Book on the cathedral’s website: www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/home/mars-war–peace
To add to the simply experiencing the planet are several more events:
- After Dark is on 9/10.16/17/23 & 24th January.
- Yoga under Mars is on 11/18 & 25th January,
- Holst’s The Planets is on 13th January (A unique opportunity to hear Holst’s ‘The Planets’ performed on Peterborough Cathedral’s magnificent organ. Performed and transposed for organ by Cathedral organist, Chris Strange. £12pp.) and even a
- Silent Disco on Saturday 20th January )Boogie on down under Mars! But hurry tickets are flying…)
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