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Photo by Robert Sils<br />
MUSEUM OF THE MOON<br />
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT<br />
The process of creating a giant inflatable<br />
‘Museum of the Moon’ is, as you might imagine,<br />
up and down. “The first time we presented the<br />
moon,” says artist Luke Jerram, on the phone, “it<br />
was a helium-filled moon at Bristol International<br />
Balloon Fiesta and it popped in front of live<br />
television…”<br />
Luke had the idea about 15 years ago, but he<br />
had to wait for print technology and NASA data<br />
to catch up with his imagination. Then he had<br />
to secure a budget, and work out how to make<br />
it, which, he found out the hard way, meant not<br />
using helium.<br />
“It’s taken years,” he says. “It was only when it<br />
was presented in Kendal, for the Lakes Alive festival,<br />
that I realised the artwork was really good.”<br />
It was well worth the effort. Interest in the Museum<br />
of the Moon has ballooned since these early<br />
outings, and it’s easy to see why.<br />
The illuminated model printed with accurate<br />
NASA imagery takes an overfamiliar sight and<br />
renders it at a scale and closeness that is aweinspiring.<br />
Accompanied by music by composer<br />
Dan Jones, audiences can admire both the<br />
earth-facing and the dark side of the moon in<br />
incredible detail, to a scale of 1cm to 5km.<br />
The artwork has been exhibited around the<br />
world, from a busy high-street in Galway City, to<br />
an indoor swimming pool in Beijing.<br />
Being the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo Landing,<br />
the moon is understandably busy this year,<br />
and so we are even more excited that it will be<br />
at Queens Park for the Brighton Festival. The<br />
Brighton Museum of the Moon will measure 7m<br />
across, rising above the pond in Queen’s Park to<br />
create reflections in the water. “It will be beautiful,”<br />
says Luke.<br />
“When we present it in a darkened space, some people<br />
think that the moon is made of concrete, or they’ll<br />
ask me if it’s made of fibreglass because it looks like it<br />
has this texture, whereas it’s just an illusion.<br />
“I grew up in the countryside,” he says, “where<br />
the view of the stars at night was brilliant. You<br />
could see the Milky Way... I wanted a telescope<br />
as a child but my parents couldn’t afford one, so<br />
having my own moon, that I can look at without<br />
a telescope, is quite nice!” Interview by Chloë King<br />
Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon is at Queens<br />
Park from 17th to 20th <strong>May</strong>. brightonfestival.org,<br />
lukejerram.com, my-moon.org
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