luke jerram + tetro put parisian shopping mall into orbit with globe installation

british artist luke jerram, in collaboration with creative agency tetro, have introduced ‘gaïa’, a suspended globe situated at the center of the beaugrenelle shopping mall, in paris. the earth installation, 7 m in diameter, was created using high-definition photographs from NASA. through gaïa, the artist offers visitors a moment of contemplation, breathing, and daydreaming around the strikingly realistic planet.

all images courtesy of alpha ré

gaïa by luke jerram, provides an intimate and surprising experience that awakens the consciences and senses of the visitors. ‘I wanted to make the artwork seem as authentic and realistic as possible, to give the public the opportunity to see how our planet looks from space’ the artist shares. ‘for most people, this will be their most intimate, personal, and closest encounter they will ever have with the whole of our planet’ he adds. 

in addition, luke jerram created gaïa to draw attention to the fragility of our planet and to question our perception of its preservation and our behavior in the face of the consequences of climate change. the installation creates a sense of the overview effect, which was first described by author frank white in 1987. this term refers to a cognitive shift in awareness, that many astronauts have reported during their spaceflight experience. common features include a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment. 

project info:

name: gaïa
artist: luke jerram
in collaboration with: tetro

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom