A giant moon replica named the ‘Fallen Moon’ created by artist Luke Jerram deflated due to extreme weather conditions brought by Storm Ashley at Bridgwater Docks in Somerset. The installation, which attracted over 10,000 visitors since its unveiling, was described as captivating and brought joy to many. However, the Bridgwater Town Council announced the unfortunate deflation of the sculpture in a statement, citing unforeseen technical failures exacerbated by the extreme weather.
The council expressed regret over the incident and assured the public that investigations are underway to determine the extent of the damage and the cause of the malfunction. The safety of visitors and the integrity of the artwork are top priorities for the council, and they apologized for any inconvenience caused to those who planned to visit the Fallen Moon. Updates on the situation will be provided as more information becomes available.
The ‘Fallen Moon’ installation, based on NASA data, was a technically challenging project with a diameter of 10 meters, making it 350,000 times smaller than the real moon. Each centimeter of the sculpture represents 3.5 kilometers of the lunar landscape. The exhibit also featured surround-sound music composed by Bafta award-winning composer Dan Jones.
Despite the premature end to the exhibition, which was scheduled to run until November 3rd, over 10,000 people had the opportunity to experience the artwork. Luke Jerram expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in bringing the installation to Bridgwater and the visitors who enjoyed it during its brief stay. The Bridgwater Docks was chosen as the first location in the UK to showcase the ‘Fallen Moon,’ ahead of a larger regeneration project at the docks.
Storm Ashley caused significant disruptions across the region, with 70mph winds, heavy rain, and high spring tides leading to safety concerns. The annual Great South Run was canceled, flights were grounded, and the River Severn overflowed, causing flooding in areas like Worcester. The technical challenges faced by the ‘Fallen Moon’ installation, combined with the extreme weather conditions, resulted in the deflation of the sculpture, marking an unexpected end to what was intended to be a visually stunning and immersive experience for visitors.