New moon rising at Bristol Balloon fiesta
- Published
The Museum of the Moon installation is a fusion of lunar imagery and surround sound composition by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winning composer Dan Jones
As it travels around, the exhibition will be presented in a number of different ways both indoors and outdoors, altering the experience and interpretation of the artwork
It will feature two balloons measuring 7m (23 ft) in diameter which are covered in detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface
The artwork was created by the Astrogeology Science Centre in the USA. The imagery was taken by a NASA satellite carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera
The structures are being made by Cameron Balloons, one of the best-known companies in the city
One balloon will be air-filled for indoor use, while the other will be filled with helium for use outside
Each centimetre of the internally-lit spherical structure represents 5km (3 miles) of the moon's surface
The artist has already been inside the moon balloon to carry out a test inflation
Floating above the Bristol Balloon fiesta for the weekend, the moon balloon will be illuminated and festival goers will be encouraged to "moonbathe" beneath it
As the exhibition travels from place to place, people will be asked what the moon means to them as part of ongoing lunar research
Mr Jerram said: "Different cultures around the world have their own historical, cultural and religious relationships to the moon, so depending on where the Museum of The Moon is presented in the world, its meaning and interpretation will shift"
He added: "Like the moon, this artwork acts as a cultural mirror that allows us to observe and contemplate cultural differences around the world. As it tours, new stories and meanings will be collected and compared from one presentation to the next"