A few weeks ago, my daughters and I went to Exeter Cathedral to see Luke Jerram's gaia exhibition. The exhibition consisted to a giant detailed Earth suspended from the ceiling which rotated slowly whilst sounds of the vox populi shared their loves, worries and concerns about the planet we call home.
Exeter Cathedral is a gorgeous building.
Going into a sacred space carries with it all the aura and wonder that these places are reknown for; they are transportative and meditative for believers and - for unbelievers of this faith (like me)- liminal and magical.
It was interesting to see how different people reacted to the exhibition; some people were lying down looking at the globe from underneath deep in thought, others were having a hot drink and whispering with friends, others, like my kids, were exclaiming in wonder at the sight of the globe floating in such a spectacular place with dramatic lighting. The colours from the stained-glass windows added further magic to the proceedings and the thing felt transportative.
Looking up at the globe created feelings of worry for me and the tiny blue dot. As we wandered the sacred space there were a few specific exhibits that made you consider your links to the planet in a spiritual and philosophical way:
Fire- this station had you make notes on regrets and worries and burn them.
Earth- had you feeling different stones and think about your own rough edges.
Water- images of rivers and the power of water for life were shared.
All these station were simple yet efficient at looking at the interconnectedness of the planet, our physical and spiritual selves. It was a good exhibition and we'll worth a visit. I wasn't blown away or anything but it was effective and provided my daughters with a sense of awe and wonder.