A seven-metre-wide sculpture of Mars will touch down at Parr Hall this July, letting visitors come face to face with the Red Planet without leaving town. The touring artwork by internationally renowned artist Luke Jerram is a highlight of this year’s Warrington Arts Festival, running from 18 July to 25 July 2026.
The installation uses high-resolution 120dpi NASA imagery to recreate every crater, volcano and valley on the Martian surface. At roughly one million times smaller than the actual planet, each centimetre of the globe represents 10 kilometres of Mars. BAFTA and Ivor Novello award-winning composer Dan Jones has created a sound composition to accompany the piece, deepening the sense of floating above the desert world.
Jerram hopes the sculpture will shift visitors’ perspective. “I hope that visitors will feel transported to its inhospitable desert wasteland and in comparison, really value our life on Earth,” he said. A full events programme will run beneath the suspended artwork, including an astronomy talk, live music, film screenings, yoga, sound baths and a club night. The piece was co-commissioned by partners including Kunsthal KAdE (Netherlands), the UK Space Agency, the Science and Technology Facilities Council, and the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres, with the University of Bristol as supporting partner.
General access is free, but pre-booking is required through Culture Warrington. The Mars sculpture follows Jerram’s earlier touring installations Museum of the Moon and Gaia, which have drawn large crowds around the globe in recent years.
Festival organisers say the work is a chance to experience cutting-edge science and art without the 140-million-mile journey. Those interested in securing a slot are advised to book early as spaces are limited.
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