Museum of the Moon appears in Bristol Cathedral

Bristol Cathedral is thrilled to announce that we will be hosting Luke Jerram’s celebrated Museum of the Moon in August 2021.

The Moon was originally scheduled to come to Bristol Cathedral in August 2020 but, owing to the pandemic, its exhibition was delayed by a year.

Measuring seven metres in diameter, the moon features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre of the internally-lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the moon’s surface.

Over its lifetime, the Museum of the Moon is being presented in a number of different ways both indoors and outdoors, so altering the experience and interpretation of the artwork. As it travels from place to place, it gathers new musical compositions and an ongoing collection of personal responses, stories and mythologies, as well as highlighting the latest moon science.

The installation is a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound composition created by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award-winning Bristol-based composer Dan Jones.

Luke Jerram’s multidisciplinary practice involves the creation of sculptures, installations and live art projects. Living in the UK but working internationally for 19 years, Jerram has created a number of extraordinary art projects which have excited and inspired people around the globe. Jerram has a set of different narratives that make up his practice which are developing in parallel with one another. He is known worldwide for his large scale public artworks.

The Very Revd Dr Mandy Ford, Dean of Bristol said: “We are thrilled to be hosting this wonderful installation, by world renowned Bristol artist, Luke Jerram, in Bristol Cathedral. I hope that the Moon will inspire stories, songs, adventures, awe and wonder in everyone who visits us this summer.”

The Moon will be on display in the crossing of Bristol Cathedral from Wednesday 11 August to Bank Holiday Monday 30 August, with opportunities to book to experience the artwork in the evenings as well. Donations and proceeds from the display of the artwork will go towards the work of Bristol-based charity St Mungo’s, who work towards ending homelessness and rebuilding the lives of those affected by it.

To deepen your experience of this exceptional artwork, we will be offering a curated programme of events, run in collaboration with other Bristol institutions, including concerts, recitals, children’s craft events, and more.

The full programme of bookable events and evenings will be available from the end of June.