Awe-inspiring installation Gaia returns to the Old Royal Naval College from January

Following a sold-out display in summer 2020, Luke Jerram’s awe-inspiring art installation Gaia returns to the magnificent Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College from 3 January – 7 February 2021.

A perfect way for your group to wipe away any January blues, Gaia is included in the usual admission price for the Painted Hall. Make a day of it by combining your visit with a guided tour, cream tea, or afternoon tea, all available on site in a socially distanced environment in line with the latest government guidelines. In addition, the Painted Hall, shop, and café will remain open until 10pm on Fridays throughout January, enabling your group to visit during an evening and experience Gaia and the Painted Hall at their most atmospheric. 

This monumental internally-lit sculpture, measuring seven metres in diameter, was created using 120dpi NASA imagery and is an exact scale replica of our planet. 

UK artist Jerram aims to instil a sense of the ‘Overview Effect’ that astronauts experience when looking down at Earth from space: feelings of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the outdoors and nature becoming a haven for so many, Gaia acts as a mirror to society to provide the viewer with a new perspective of our precious planet. 

Gaia is 1.8 million times smaller than Earth, with each centimetre of the sculpture representing 18km of the Earth’s surface. Gaia is accompanied by a specially made surround-sound composition by BAFTA award-winning composer Dan Jones. The sculpture provides an amazing opportunity for visitors to the Painted Hall to view Earth as it appears from space, floating in three dimensions like a ‘blue marble’. 

The Painted Hall will be open as usual during the Gaia installation and talks and events will continue as programmed. Gaia was previously displayed at the Old Royal Naval College as part of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival 2020. 

To learn more and to make a group booking, please contact us by emailing boxoffice@ornc.org.