This Saturday (17th July 2021), just days before the 52nd anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s famous 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing on 20th July, you will be able to take your own ‘walk on the moon’ at Peterborough Cathedral.
The Cathedral is hosting One Small Step, a giant representation of the lunar surface created by the renowned artist and sculptor Peter Walker. The 36m x 7m artwork uses imagery from NASA to show all the craters and details of the lunar rock. It will transform a huge area of the floor in the Cathedral’s north and south transepts into an image of the moon’s terrain for visitors to walk on.
The exhibition will be on display at the Cathedral until 31st October and during this time lunar-themed events are planned.
Canon Tim Alban Jones, Vice Dean of Peterborough, said:
“As we slowly emerge from the restrictions of the global pandemic it’s truly wonderful to have the opportunity to see things from such a different perspective. I hope that this close-up glimpse of somewhere that is normally hundreds of thousands of miles away will help visitors have a sense of the vastness of God’s universe and to think about our place within it.”
The artist, Peter Walker, said:
“This is an artwork designed to let us think about exploration, about possibilities and about how that one small step we might take in our own lives could bring us closer to our own understanding of the vastness and otherness of existence. It is an artwork designed for those who wish to examine closely the surface of the moon which we have all looked up and considered, but it is also designed as a playful space for family adventure. More than anything this is a fantastic opportunity to tell everyone that you have been somewhere quite different this summer and take a selfie on the moon.”
Entry to the Cathedral and the exhibition is by donation. The opening hours for One Small Step are usually 10.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Saturday, and 12.00 noon until 3.00pm on Sundays. Times may vary and it is advisable to check the website before visiting.
Visitors are asked to ensure that they wear flat heeled shoes to walk on the moon surface.
The exhibition is being supported by sponsors Henson Crisp Ltd, Independent Financial Advisers and Speed Agency.
Additional Information
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One Small Step was originally created by Peter Walker to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Lunar Landing in 2019, when it was shown at Lichfield Cathedral.
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Alongside the exhibition are a set of interpretation panels, originally developed by Lichfield Cathedral and Kathryn Walker. These invite visitors to consider the questions about God, space, humanity and science that are raised by the artwork.
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Apollo 11 was launched on 16th July 1969, the moon landing took place on 20th July and the mission returned to earth on 24th July. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo-11.html.
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The artist Peter Walker is also part of the artistic collaboration known as Luxmuralis whose stunning sound and light show, The Angels are Coming, will be presented at Peterborough Cathedral from 24th to 27th November 2021. Details coming soon. See www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/angels