Mars: War and Peace coming to Rochester Cathedral in February

11th February – 8th March 2025

Marvel at the spectacle of the red planet. Luke Jerram’s Mars: War and Peace is coming to Rochester Cathedral in February 2025. The incredible artwork follows his previous astronomical artworks Museum of the Moon and Gaia, which drew record visitor numbers to the Cathedral in 2020 and 2022.

Measuring seven metres in diameter, the artwork features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery* of the Martian surface. At an approximate scale of 1:1 million, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 10 kilometres of the surface of Mars.

Mars was named by the ancient Romans for their god of war because its reddish colour was reminiscent of blood. Accompanying the Mars sculpture is a newly created sound composition by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winning composer Dan Jones. Featuring the sounds of seas, deserts and clips from NASA missions to Mars, it also incorporates the sounds of distant bombing and people marching, as if to war.

Luke Jerram says:

“Presented with a new soundtrack in the context of a church or cathedral, a space to encourage peaceful contemplation, Mars: War & Peace provides an opportunity for the public to consider the history of human conflict around the world. I hope that visitors will feel transported to the inhospitable desert wasteland of Mars, whilst also reflecting on the realities of war for ordinary communities of people on our planet.” 

Visitors came in their thousands to see Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon and Gaia when they came to Rochester Cathedral. The incredible artworks are a stunning sight juxtaposed with the medieval architecture of Rochester Cathedral, England’s second oldest Cathedral.

Mars: War and Peace will be accompanied by a varied programme of events inspired by our closest planetary neighbour including concerts and family activities. Tickets for many of these events are now on sale and can be purchased through the Cathedral’s website. More events will be announced soon on Rochester Cathedral’s social media channels.

An absolute highlight of the programme will be the Interstellar concert. Roger Sayer, the original organist from Hans Zimmer’s exceptional score to the hit film will perform live at the Cathedral. This is a homecoming for Roger Sayer who was previously Director of Music at Rochester Cathedral.

Pink Floyd fans won’t want to miss the return of Just Floyd who last performed at the Cathedral under Museum of the Moon. Tickets sold extremely quickly last time so book soon to avoid disappointment. Pop enthusiasts will be able to discover if there is ‘Life on Mars’ and travel with The Rocket Man with a series of concerts with music by David Bowie, Elton John and 80’s pop classics. Sci-fi fans will be delighted by the Symphonix Orchestra who will perform iconic soundtracks from films including Star Wars and ET. More galactically inspired concerts will be announced soon.

Mars will be free of charge to see during the day, although charges apply for groups and special events. On selected evenings visitors will be able to experience the artwork in a new light after dark. Details of opening times can be found on Rochester Cathedral’s website.

Mars: War and Peace will be at Rochester Cathedral from the 11th February to the 8th March. Find out more on our website.

www.rochestercathedral.org/mars

About the Cathedral

Rochester Cathedral (Kent) is England’s second oldest Cathedral.  It was founded in 604 AD with the present building dating back to 1080.  The glorious architecture and close connection to Charles Dickens make it a fascinating and inspirational place to visit. Rochester has excellent transport links and is just 35 minutes by train. For more information on the Cathedral please visit our website www.rochestercathedral.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Luke Jerram

Luke Jerram’s multidisciplinary practice involves the creation of sculptures, installations and live arts projects. Living in the UK but working internationally since 1997, Jerram has created a number of extraordinary art projects which have excited and inspired people around the globe. Jerram has a set of different narratives that make up his practice which are developing in parallel with one another. He is known worldwide for his large scale public artworks.

Mars is co-commissioned by Kunsthal KAdE, Netherlands; UK Space Agency; Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK and UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres. With supporting partner University of Bristol.

If you would like more information on this topic please email info@rochestercathedral.org or rebecca.peachey@rochestercathedral.org