Museum of the Moon is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram.

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 will be 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 composer Dan Jones. Each venue also programmes their own series of lunar inspired events beneath the moon.

The moon has always inspired humanity, acting as a ‘cultural mirror’ to society, reflecting the ideas
and beliefs of all people around the world. Over the centuries, the moon has been interpreted as a god and as a planet. It has been used as a timekeeper, calendar and been a source of light to aid nighttime navigation. Throughout history the moon has inspired artists, poets, scientists, writers and musicians the world over. The ethereal blue light cast by a full moon, the delicate crescent following the setting sun, or the mysterious dark side of the moon has evoked passion and exploration. Different cultures around the world have their own historical, cultural, scientific and religious relationships to the moon. And yet somehow, despite these differences, the moon connects us all.

Museum of the Moon allows us to observe and contemplate cultural similarities and differences around the world,  and consider the latest moon science. Depending on where the artwork is presented, its meaning and interpretation will shift. Read more in Research

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Each venue to present the artwork can programme their own series lunar inspired events beneath the moon. Below are a selection of events that that have taken place so far…

Partners

Museum of the Moon has been co-commissioned by a number of creative organisations brought together by Luke Jerram and Norfolk & Norwich Festival. These include: Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, Brighton FestivalWithout Walls, Cork Midsummer FestivalWe The Curious, Lakes Alive, Provincial Domain Dommelhof, Les Tombées de la Nuit, Rennes  and Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The artwork has been created in partnership with the UK Space AgencyUniversity of Bristol and The Association for Science and Discovery Centres. For more information see Partners.

Background

Luke Jerram’s multidisciplinary practice involves the creation of sculptures, installations and live arts projects. Living in the UK but working internationally for 25 years, Jerram has created a number of extraordinary art projects which have excited and inspired people around the globe. Find out more through his main website here.

The Museum of the Moon was inspired by living in Bristol and noticing the huge tidal variation as he cycled over the Avon Cut each day. His moon research also led to his artwork Tide. In 2019 Luke was made a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. 

*The massive 23 metre wide, high resolution image used to create the moon artwork, was created by the Astrogeology Science Centre in the USA. The imagery was taken by a NASA satellite carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera launched in 2010.

Museum Collections

Editions of the Museum of the Moon artwork have been acquired by: 

Houston Museum of Natural Science, USA. Powerhouse Museum (Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences), Sydney. Natural History Museum Vienna, Austria. Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa. Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Canada. OliOli, Dubai, UAE. Questacon, Canberra, Australia. CosmoCaixa Barcelona, Spain. Exploratorium, San Francisco, USA. Parque de las Ciencias, Granada, Spain. Nelson Provincial Museum, New Zealand. Adler Planetarium, Chicago, USA. Imagine Museum Collection, Florida, USA. Peoria Riverfront Museum, Illinois, USA. Chongqing Lamba Art Gallery, China. L’Ososphère, Strasbourg, France. Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA, USA. Draper Museum, Cambridge, USA. Ethnographical Museum, Geneva, Switzerland. 

Contact us about purchasing an edition of this artwork for your museum (different sizes are available).

Charitable Work

From the success of this artwork, Luke has been able to set up and fund various charitable initiatives including: Bristol Schools Arts Fund, Dreamtime FellowshipsPower of Light,  Ascension.

 

Follow the Moon

 

 

 

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