It’s not quite as dire as the R.E.M. song, but the world has come to an end in Key Biscayne, or at least a popular artistic rendering of it.
The 23-foot diameter globe known as Gaia was originally set for nine days of viewing, but the final three days are now canceled because of fears bad weather would damage the canvas artwork.
During its stay, timed to coincide with Earth Day, the globe elicited music performances, yoga classes, and even dances. It appeared in hundreds — if not thousands — of social media selfies.
“The Earth is coming to an end,” said the Key Biscayne Community Foundation in an Instagram post. Foundation Executive Director Melissa White said a series of floods, tornado warnings, and generally crummy weather led to the decision to cancel future showings.
“We just kept having issues and I woke up in the middle of the night worrying about the Earth,” she said. “I thought, why are we pushing our luck?”
English artist Luke Jerram said the artwork wasn’t damaged. “All is well,” he said. The globe is being packed and sent to Glasgow, Scotland, White said.
“It was a great activation of the reflecting pools. I think we need to have more art in public places,” she added.
She said the Foundation was grateful to the Village of Key Biscayne and the public works staff for making the exhibit possible.
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Tony Winton is the editor-in-chief of the Key Biscayne Independent and president of Miami Fourth Estate, Inc. He worked previously at The Associated Press for three decades winning multiple Edward R. Murrow awards. He was president of the News Media Guild, a journalism union, for 10 years. Born in Chicago, he is a graduate of Columbia University. His interests are photography and technology, sailing, cooking, and science fiction.