PEOPLE are flocking to Symondsbury to witness a stunning seven metre replica of the planet Earth.
The spectacle, named Gaia is available to view for free at the Symondsbury Estate from today as part of the Inside Out Dorset arts festival.
The work, created by visual artist Luke Jerram 'explores humanity's place on the planet and the responsibility people have towards each other'.
The exhibition is open from today (Friday, September 24) until Sunday, September 26 from 11am until 10pm each day.
Gaia is displayed in Park Copse, the woodlands near the estate, with soft musical tracks and spoken word playing in the background to create the intended atmosphere.
The exhibition is located around a 30 minute walk away from the estate's car park, with uneven terrain so appropriate footwear is necessary.
Whilst many onlookers were surprised by the length of the walk to reach the destination, the vast majority saw it to be worthwhile.
77-year-old Joan Hand walked to the exhibition from her home in Bridport.
She said: "It's quite a fascinating sight to see, I could stand here and stare for hours.
"It's been a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and I have to say it was worth the trek down here.
"It's very interesting to just stand and look at - I can't say I'm disappointed."
Another resident, Gard Gawor, said: "It's absolutely stunning, such an incredible experience.
"You just don't see something like this every day. The setting in the woodland is absolutely incredible.
"The sound as well is excellent and really sets the scene - the whole atmosphere is great."
Gaia arrived in Symondsbury after being displayed at Moors Valley Country Park near Ringwood last weekend when more than 10,000 went to see it over three days.
Bridport resident, Trish Ashbyrudd said: "It's incredible. I honestly didn't think it would captivate me and make me think quite this much.
"It's crazy to look at. It's so much better than I expected."
Her friend, Sophie Weld-Davies, said: "We didn't know what to expect but it was definitely worth coming down.
"It's incredible just to look at and take it all in."
Away from Gaia, several exhibitions are taking place throughout the weekend at the estate.
One of the picks of these exhibitions is Geophonic, a brand new work described as an 'interactive sound walk experience' by Dorset-based creator and performer Lorna Rees.
Partnering with the Earth, an 'immersive poetic installation' created by Dave Young, Sophie Fretwell and sound designer Jonathon Leitch with a premise of 'if the Earth could speak, what would it say?' is also taking place with four performances per day.
The Whistlers, 'an ancient culture of people' created by the Red Herring theatre company, are also walking through the site interacting with people throughout the day along with many other sites, performances and exhibitions.
Bill Gee, co-artistic director of Inside Out Dorset, said: "Gaia is only one of the things on display. It's a wonderful piece of work but we're also excited about the three commissions we have got to showcase. The artists have been making multiple trips to the site over the past two years as they were meant to be displaying their work lst year, but the event had to be cancelled due to Covid.
"We're really proud to be supporting these artists as we selected them all the way back in 2019."
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