Gaia: Luke Jerram’s giant sculpture of the Earth finds a permanent home at Techniquest Cardiff

Paid advertising partnership with Techniquest

If you’ve ever wondered what Earth looks like from space, then head to Techniquest to see Gaia, a breathtaking sculpture of our planet which features detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface.

Created by artist Luke Jerram, the six-metre wide sculpture hangs over Techniquest’s main exhibition space and is the first permanent installation of Gaia in Wales.

I was lucky enough to see it first thing in the morning (just before 200 school children arrived for the day!) and found it truly mesmerising.

It’s 2.1 million times smaller than Earth, with every centimetre representing around 21km of our planet’s surface, but even so you get such a sense of awe as it slowly rotates and you different countries, continents and oceans come into view.

I found the 30-minute soundtrack which accompanies the internally-lit sculpture. You can listen to real astronauts as they see earth from space for the first time, accompanied by beautiful music from BAFTA award-winning composer Dan Jones. Bring your headphones and scan the QR codes to listen.

Gaia has arrived in Cardiff as part of Techniquest’s 40th anniversary celebrations – you may remember my post from the summer about the new exhibits – and is accompanied by an environmental education programme and lots of events, some for families and some which are adults-only.

Having seen Museum of the Moon and Helios, the sun sculpture at National Museum Cardiff over the last few months it’s amazing to have Gaia here in Cardiff as a permanent fixture. It really gets you thinking about the planet and environment, questioning what the future holds and what we can do to help.

It’s such a serene experience standing on the upper gallery looking down at Gaia. It’s probably the closest I’ll ever come to the ‘Overview Effect’, which astronauts often experience when viewing Earth from space. It’s a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

Sue Wardle, Techniquest CEO, puts it beautifully, “Gaia is much more than a breathtaking artwork. It is an invitation to be curious, to think differently and to see our planet as the one shared home we all depend on. We hope it will inspire people of all ages to explore environmental challenges through the lens of science, innovation and possibility. Our ambition is simple: to move the conversation from fear to hope, and to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers, innovators and changemakers.”

Gaia means the personification of the Earth in ancient Greek mythology and comes with a programme of events for visitors of all ages about the Earth, the climate and the role that science can play in solving global challenges.

For younger visitors, the installation will sit at the heart of Techniquest’s forthcoming Our World, One World programme and exciting newly developed environmental programme which will feature exhibits, activities and live science demonstrations to help families, children and young people view and understand the Earth in different ways.

For adults, there are Yoga with the Earth events, and a series of Gin & Topics events which will cover a range of subjects connecting science and art, people and planet. Luke Jerram himself will be speaking at the event on Thursday 3 December.

Luke, who graduated from art college at what is now Cardiff Metropolitan University and is known worldwide for his large-scale public artworks, said, “It’s a great pleasure to now have my work on permanent display in Wales for the first time, following record-breaking touring exhibitions of the Sun Helios and the Museum of the Moon at the National Museum Cardiff earlier this year. It gives me great hope that so many people are engaging with this series of work.

He added, “I hope visitors to Techniquest’s Gaia get to see the Earth as if from space; an incredibly beautiful and precious place. An ecosystem we urgently need to look after – our only home. For our entire human existence, we have been gazing up at the moon and projecting all our hopes, dreams and wishes up there. Whereas it was only in 1968, following NASA’s Apollo 8 Mission, that we were able to see our planet floating in space.”

Techniquest, Stuart Street, Cardiff, CF10 5BW. Open 10am-5pm weekends and school holidays; 2pm-5pm Wednesday-Friday during term-time (date closures may apply). Visit the Techniquest website.

General admission school holidays and weekends, adults from £15.45, children from £13.63, family from £52.72, under 3s free. Other events are priced differently.

Relaxed sessions take place on Sunday 4 October, 1 November and 6 December, 10am-12pm.

Toddler Day, featuring extra activities for preschoolers, takes place on Fridays 9 October, 6 November and 4 December.

Home educator days take place on Wednesdays 21 October, 11 November, and 9 December.

You can also book now for October half term, from Saturday 24-Sunday 1 November, with special events including slime lab and ghoul school.

The next adult after hours event takes place on Thursday 22 October with an 80s Fright Night theme.

See the Techniquest website for details of other Gaia events including yoga and panel discussions and talks.