I visited Chichester Cathedral for Luke Jerram's Mars installation

When speaking to Chichester Cathedral, the artist said: “Mars follows on from my other touring astronomical artworks Museum of the Moon (previously hosted at the Cathedral in 2021) 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.”

When you get into the historically rich Cathedral, it really is the very first thing you look at. Not only does it leave you wondering how exactly it was designed to just about fit into the Nave of the Cathedral, but also how much time it took to get all its detail.

Each centimetre of the spherical sculpture represents ten kilometres of the surface of Mars with every valley, crater, volcano and mountain visible for visitors to explore.

In my eyes, the juxtaposition of Mars’ presence in stunning detail within Chichester’s 948-year-old Cathedral epitomises the meeting of ancient human wonder with modern technological advancements.

The spiritual setting of a Cathedral as grand as Chichesters intensifies the sense of awe in Jerram’s work, inviting viewers to not only observe Mars, but to contemplate its meaning on a deeper level.

Luke Jerram's installation transcends the visual, evoking feelings of humility and reverence as visitors stand beneath a planet so far removed from our everyday lives.

Chichester Cathedral is hosting the immersive installation Mars from the 19th of October to the 10th of November 2024.