Luke Jerram’s Mars installation lands at the Cathedral on Saturday 19th October until Sunday 10th November and offers visitors the opportunity to explore the Red Planet in exquisite detail.
In this Q&A with the artist, Luke shares the inspirations behind his creation, the significance of presenting it in public spaces and the reflections it evokes in the spiritual setting of the Cathedral’s ancient Nave.
Where did you get the idea to make the Mars artwork?
Mars follows on from my other touring astronomical artworks Museum of the Moon and Gaia and allows a close encounter with the Martian planet. I hope that visitors will feel transported to its inhospitable desert wasteland and in comparison, really value our life on Earth.
During its tour, Mars has always been shown in public spaces. Why is it important to you to show your artworks in public spaces?
I enjoy presenting artwork in public spaces, as I know the audience will be broad and diverse and the exhibition will be open to everyone.
I like the fact that whether Mars is presented in an art museum, science centre, park or busy street, the experience and interpretation of the artwork will change.
Mars also acts as a venue, with local hosts creating their own programme of events to take place beneath the artwork. Chichester Cathedral’s array of Evening Viewings, concerts and workshops strikes a wonderful balance of culture, learning and hands-on activities for everyone to enjoy.
Mars is made of precise imagery from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter data. Can you explain this choice?
Measuring seven metres in diameter, the artwork features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Martian surface. At around one million times smaller than the actual planet, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 10 kilometres of the surface of Mars.
The artwork allows us to view Mars from the air, as though we are a satellite mapping and studying the surface in perfect detail. Every valley, crater, volcano and mountain are laid bare for us to inspect. The artwork transports us to this desert wasteland, to imagine what it’s like to step foot on this incredible planet.
By displaying Mars in a peaceful, reflective and spiritual environment such as a cathedral, how do you think it prompts contemplation about the fragility of life and our responsibilities towards Earth?
By confronting visitors with the inhospitable reality of Mars in this place of contemplation, I hope that it will prompt visitors to think about our planet as an incredibly beautiful and precious place in comparison. We urgently need to look after our ecosystem on Earth – our only home.
Mars at Chichester Cathedral coincides with the 150th anniversary year of Gustav Holst, who is interred at the Cathedral. Holst depicted Mars as the Bringer of War in his famous composition, The Planets. How does your Mars artwork relate to this theme?
The 150th anniversary year of Holst’s birth provides a perfect moment and context for presenting the Mars artwork at Chichester Cathedral. At some churches and cathedrals my artwork is presented as Mars: War & Peace, with a different soundtrack that incorporates the sounds of distant bombing and people marching, as if to war. By connecting Mars as the ‘Bringer of War’ with these spaces that encourage peaceful contemplation, it creates a new context for visitors to consider the history of human conflict and hope for peace around the world.
The score by Dan Jones will accompany your Mars exhibit during our Evening Viewings. How do you believe the combination of sound, science and art will enhance the experience for visitors at the Cathedral?
The surround sound music connects the sculpture with the space and architecture around it. The sound fills a room and creates an atmosphere and ambience, shaping and guiding interpretation of the sculpture.
I’ve worked with Dan for over 10 years on various projects and he’s always a pleasure to collaborate with.
“Mars has represented so many of humankind’s hopes and fears about life on other planets. It has transformed from being a touchstone for myths about fearful aliens into a genuine scientific arena in the search for ancient microbial life; and from a story of despair about planetary extinction that we might fear ourselves, to one of potential hope in the reinvention of ourselves as a migratory species. I’ve tried to delve into some of these ideas and emotions, both as a sound designer and composer, in a work which I will continue to evolve with Luke as the story of Mars continues to unfold before our eyes.” - Dan Jones
Luke Jerram’s Mars is on display at the Cathedral from 19th October – 10th November. Click here to start planning your visit.