A sculpture of Earth that sank due to adverse weather is proving to be a very apt metaphor

A floating sculpture of planet Earth that sank after bad weather has been labelled as a little too “on the nose”.

The giant globe was on display in Salford Quays as part of the Lightwaves Festival. Suspended on top of the water, it was the main centrepiece of the event.

But on Saturday 4 December, just one day after the festival kicked off, organisers were forced to cancel the event for the evening as bad and “unexpected weather” meant the light festival couldn’t go ahead.

That afternoon, the bad weather left the giant Earth sculpture sunk in the water as organisers were unable to power it up.

The 10-meter diameter sculpture is typically lit up and suspended by air just above the water’s surface, making it appear as if it is floating on the water.

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Quays Culture, who organises the festival, said on their Instagram: “Due to unexpected weather conditions here at The Quays, we’ve had to remove power to Floating Earth and close it temporarily.”

The irony of a giant Earth sculpture sinking due to adverse weather has not been lost on many, given the current climate change crisis. Some reacted to the image of the sad-looking sculpture on Twitter.

One person wrote: “Feels like an appropriate statement on the world and global warming!”

Another said: “Seeing an earth sinking due to extreme weather is a bit on the nose for me honestly.”

Someone else said: “Visualisation of climate change…”

One person joked: “It’s almost poetic.”