MUSEUM OF THE MOON

Although the Vermilingua Contemporary, like all museums and galleries, is temporarily closed Wilson has not abandoned it – in fact he's just told me about his latest acquisition: Luke Jerram's The Museum Of The Moon.

 

When this was on show at Rochester Cathedral I unfortunately missed the opportunity to visit because the coronavirus outbreak, so you can imagine how excited I am to have another chance to see it!

 

Wilson relieved me of another £5 admission fee (he hasn't yet introduced an annual pass) and ushered me into the gallery. 

 

I was filled with anticipation, yet puzzled, for I knew that The Museum Of The Moon is over 7 metres in diameter… considerably larger than even the longest dimension of the Vermilingua Contemporary.

 

I understood as soon as I entered the exhibition area.

 

'What do you think, New Dad?' he asked, 'It's magnificent, no?'

 

I regarded the lunar globe for some time, before replying, 'Well, yes – although I expected it to be a bit, um, BIGGER!'

 

'But this edition is animated!' he countered. 'Biro – animate the exhibit if you would be so kind.'

 

Byron stretched up to the suspended globe and poked it, whereupon it began a stately rotation on its axis.

 

'Now you're impressed, aren't you?' Wilson insisted, 'The original may have been a bit bigger, but it didn't do that!'

 

When I return to the house, I'm pretty sure I'll discover that my Lunar Globe will have disappeared from the desk in my room…