“Breathtaking, a must see exhibition”
These are the words of one of the visitors to Gaia on Saturday 8 November. Indeed, this has been the impact of Gaia on most of our visitors, particularly if they visit as dusk falls and Hexham Abbey is thrown into shadow. As the illuminated Earth, hanging from the centre of abbey, beneath the Bell Tower, rotates in the centre of the abbey, visitors simply stop, fall silent and stare. The impact of Gaia is immediate, from toddlers to children to teenagers, to adults and seniors – they are all awestruck.
The best place to view Gaia is either lying beneath it on beanbags, preferred by our younger visitors or standing at the top of the Night Stairs. Visitors rarely talk, they simply stare, perhaps contemplating not only the beauty but also the fragility of the Earth. Gaia is the creation of artist Luke Jerrram. It is “seven metres in diameter…showing… detailed imagery of the Earth’s surface from the NASA Visible Earth Series. Slowly turning the artwork provides the opportunity to see our planet floating in three dimensions as if we’re astronauts floating in space” (Luke Jerram, Earth and Sky, Bristol Books 2025). A soundtrack, specially commissioned from Dan Jones (BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winner) plays on repeat connecting the abbey to the sculpture and creating an atmosphere that guides and informs us, helping us to interpret the artwork. The hauntingly beautiful musical score is interspersed with the voices of the astronauts taken from the Apollo 8 Mission,1968 and young people talking about the importance of Earth to our own survival, but also its beauty and biodiversity and the need to take care of it.
‘A Vision of Nine Earths
Alongside Gaia is another exhibition, ‘A Vision of Nine Earths’. This is a collaboration between a local Green party Councillor, Michael Domingue and Paul Digby, a Leeds based artist with support from Joe Coroneo-Seaman, John Seaman and David Dixon. Clearly individuals passionate about ensuring people are aware of the fragility of our planet and the challenges currently facing it. There are nine sculptures each depicting an aspect of our global environmental crisis. When combined with Gaia these are a powerful call-to-arms for those of us concerned about the global challenges our planet faces in the face of corporate and political indifference, where political influence, power and money seem to dominate the conversation.
Set in Hexham Abbey, which last year celebrated its 1300th Anniversary, Gaia and ‘A Vision of Nine Earths’ are perhaps given a unique majesty, a powerful reminder that the Earth is a fragile, beautiful entity that, like the abbey itself, needs our protection.
Gaia is on at Hexham Abbey until 16 November. You can book tickets here,
