Deep within the Natural History Museum is a huge cavernous space filled with a giant floating replica of the moon.
That simple explanation is however to belittle what an exceptional experience this display is. A room with a big balloon shouldn’t be that exciting, but it really does pack a punch.
It’s not really something you contemplate or look on in considered thought — it’s oddly interactive, for something you can’t touch. People come to this darkened room, and it’s their reaction that I found most fascinating.
Just enough children running around and getting excited to fill the room with the chatter of animals and screams of birds as an approaching eclipse would in the real world.
Then all around, the “tower of Pisa” has arrived in London, in the poses people make trying to get that perfect photo of them holding the moon in their hands.
That the museum has also decoratively lit up the room, so that there’s a backdrop to put the moon against seems to lift the display upwards.
The balloon is actually a work of art, by Luke Jerram, the man who flew balloons playing whale music over London in 2011 and put pianos all over the place for people to play. And here is a space where people are allowed to play, with a glowing moon in their background.
One of the more curious aspects is that photos can’t render the moon is it is – as a globe. They all look eerily flat — highly detailed, beautiful indeed, but so flat that the moon looks like it’s a cut out that’s been glued on top of a photo. Even in the physical presence, as you wander around there’s the nagging doubt that it’s not a big balloon, but some clever optical illusion always presenting a flat circle to the viewer.
It’s a very curiously successful, and despite the yabbering of the kids, oddly peaceful experience.
The Museum of the Moon is at the Natural History Museum until 5th January 2020 – entry is free.
I saw this when it was installed at Tintern Abbey last spring: it is excellent, although Tintern Abbey was a far better venue than the NHM – and of course the NHM is so popular it might be hard to get in to see this. The work that went into this is amazing. Well worth trying to get to see it, here or at one of the other venues I believe it’s travelling to.
There were no problems seeing it – and you can see from my photos, taken in the middle of a busy morning for the museum how much space there was to wander around.
Very well reviewed Ian. I work at the museum and rather take it all for granted. I will look at it differently than I had.
It’s a great crowd puller but like you say doesn’t get crowded.
Thanks
I am glad to learn that this isn’t getting crowded – I will therefore make the effort to see it again! Thanks! (The last time I tried to get to the museum I had to queue for over a half-hour just to get in.)