The collapsed Floating Earth sculpture was an accidental perfect metaphor for the climate crisis

A main attraction of the Lightwaves Festival in Salford Quays, Floating Earth, a sculpture by Luke Jerram showing the globe hovering above the water, ran into a spot of trouble when bad weather made it unsafe to connect it to the necessary power.

Here’s how the 10-metre diameter piece looks when it’s working.

Heading to Salford @QuaysCulture to attempt to install this giant 10m Floating Earth artwork outside @The_Lowry & @BBCWorld @BBCNews in high winds and freezing temperatures. What could possibly go wrong ?! pic.twitter.com/oqi0PU2GzQ

— Luke Jerram (@lukejerram) November 30, 2021

Simply stunning.

But this is how it looled without power.

The floating earth is sinking!

A rescue mission is underway to save Luke Jerram's ‘floating earth’ which took a battering in this weekend's windy weather pic.twitter.com/Kni4c9NifY

— BBC North West (@BBCNWT) December 5, 2021

It couldn’t have represented the climate crisis more accurately if it had been planned.

Feels like an appropriate statement on the world and global warming! https://t.co/j6CR6sZeiT

— Holly Franklin-Trubshawe (@HTrub88) December 6, 2021

accidental powerful work https://t.co/NgzgC0z3h3

— Hettaverse® (@danhett) December 5, 2021

Anyone need a heavy-handed metaphor? https://t.co/CTrjvoiIx7

— Grace Fletcher-Hackwood (@msgracefh) December 5, 2021

Art imitating life.

JC x https://t.co/5jxTFJZU0a

— Jesus Christ (@ResurrectedDude) December 6, 2021

I think this is a much more on-the-nose metaphor than was probably intended… https://t.co/1zpJ69KMQN

— Charlotte Nichols (@charlotte2153) December 5, 2021

For Floating Earth, there was a happy ending.

FLOATING EARTH IS BACK!

Huge thanks for your patience and messages of support.

Visit from 5pm – 10pm as part of Lightwaves, tonight until Sun 12 Dec.

Gunner Gu pic.twitter.com/fDNQhO0vWk

— QuaysCulture (@QuaysCulture) December 9, 2021