Museum of the Moon – Bristol Cathedral

Bristol Cathedral has just announced it will be hosting Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon this August – and raising much needed funds for the city’s homeless charity.

Museum of the Moon to land in Bristol Cathedral

The Moon was originally scheduled for Bristol Cathedral last August but due to the pandemic was delayed by a year.

Donations and proceeds from the display of the artwork, which can be seen from 11 – 30th August, 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.

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 seen in a number of different ways, both indoors and outdoors, to change the experience and interpretation of the artwork.

And 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 was born in Bristol and while still living in the UK, he has worked internationally for 19 years, creating a number of extraordinary art projects around the globe. His multidisciplinary practice involves the creation of sculptures, installations and live art projects and 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.

Thee will be offering a curated programme of events alongside the installation, 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 on the cathedral’s website.

More about the Museum of the Moon here.

Photo James Billing, Ely Cathedral.