Mars: War & Peace, a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram.

There are three sites for Mars: War & Peace in Kensington and Chelsea. This listing is for the third run which is outdoors at Jubilee Square, Kensington Town Hall. Horton Street, London W8 7NX.

This piece is presented in this location from Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 August and is free to attend. The site will open at 8am and close at 11pm. This location is in a residential area. For these reasons, there will only be one show with sound at 7 pm each night. At other times, you can create your own intimate moment as the soundscape can be accessed via a QR code at the site at other times in the day and night. If you are someone who likes to have a ticket in your hand, please do book using the link however this is a free, open access site.

Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 August - Pop along to Jubilee Square to hear free outdoor classical music concerts at 1pm and 3pm both days whilst viewing Mars: War & Peace.

Mars: War & Peace
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.

The artwork allows us to view Mars from the air, as though we are a satellite mapping and studying the surface in perfect detail. Every valley, crater, volcano and mountain are laid bare for us to inspect. We are transported to this desert wasteland, to imagine what it’s like to step foot on this incredible planet and in comparison, really value our life on Earth.

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 specially 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. This new soundtrack allows viewers the opportunity to reflect on the current conflict in Ukraine and the history and notion of war.

“Mars: War & Peace follows on from my other touring astronomical artworks Museum of the Moon and Gaia, allowing a close encounter with the Martian planet. Presented with a new soundtrack for the first time at Kensington and Chelsea Festival, I hope that visitors will feel transported to its inhospitable desert wasteland, whilst also being faced to contemplate the bleak realities of war on our planet.” Luke Jerram

The installation is a fusion of Mars imagery, light and surround sound composition. Each venue also programmes their own series of events to contemplate not just the beauty of the red planet and wonder of space science, but also to highlight injustice and the effects of war.

*The Mars artwork is made from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter data.

A Main Festival Event. Supported by Campden Ward Councillors