World-famous Gaia Earth installation touches down at UNIS Hanoi

The world-famous Gaia Earth installation is coming to Asia, at UNIS Hanoi

Suspended in UNIS Hanoi's newly renovated sports centre, the seven-metre illuminated Earth installation features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth's surface to recreate the view of the planet from space.

By hosting Gaia, UNIS Hanoi will become the first institution in Asia to present this celebrated work, underscoring Vietnam's rising profile in global culture and sustainability.

Bringing Gaia to UNIS Hanoi has been made possible through the generous support of LPBank. Thanks to the UNIS - LPBank Endowment, Gaia's powerful message will resonate across the community while underscoring UNIS Hanoi's commitment to excellence, sustainability, and meaningful global engagement. Together with LPBank, UNIS is shaping a future where education sparks action and creates lasting impact worldwide.

The timing of Gaia's debut in Hanoi carries historic significance. The exhibition opens as the world commemorates UN@80, celebrating the United Nations' 80th anniversary, and Vietnam@80, marking the nation's independence and resilience since 1945.

A series of almost 140 curated events and tours will be hosted at UNIS Hanoi for local partners including Vietnamese schools, non-governmental organisations, embassies, businesses, and government representatives, connecting diverse communities in dialogue around sustainability and shared responsibility.

Thousands of Hanoi residents and visitors will have the opportunity to share in this cultural and educational experience when Gaia moves to the Twin Dragons of West Lake. Sponsored by UNIS Hanoi, the installation will be open to the public from October 29 to November 1.

“As the United Nations marks 80 years of global cooperation, it is deeply meaningful to see Gaia in Vietnam for the very first time,” Pauline Tamesis, United Nations Resident Coordinator to Vietnam (UNRC), said at the launch event organised on October 5. “This exhibition is more than art, it is a living classroom for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, brought to life through UNIS Hanoi's powerful interpretation.”

"This exhibition resonates deeply with UNIS Hanoi's identity. It embodies our vision to be an inspirational role model for a better world and activates our values. They are integrity (truthful engagement with evidence), curiosity (inquiring into complex systems), courage (acting on what we learn), community (working together across perspectives), diversity (honouring every voice in a global conversation), and responsibility (caring for the planet we share). As an IB World School with a UN foundation, Gaia is not a spectacle; it is a public commitment to develop informed, compassionate global citizens - and to lead, alongside our partners, in shaping a more sustainable, just future,” said Dr. Elizabeth M. Gale, head of school at UNIS Hanoi.

Dr. Elizabeth M. Gale, head of school at UNIS Hanoi spoke at the launching event organised on October 5

For its display at UNIS Hanoi, Gaia is paired with the Gaia SDG Experience, an interactive showcase that demonstrates how the school integrates the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its teaching and community life.

"The SDG Experience shows how we prepare young people not only to imagine a more sustainable world, but to lead in creating it. It is a truly transformative experience that connects our students directly to the planet they will inherit," Dr. Gale added.

By linking global challenges with local action, the exhibition highlights sustainability values ​​for Vietnam's youth - reinforcing the nation's commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. It reflects how education and art can work hand-in-hand to inspire urgent climate action and empower the next generation of leaders.

"The United Nations and the international community face a range of unprecedented challenges. Conflicts, poverty, inequality, climate change, natural disasters, and other emerging crises continue to threaten our collective efforts to achieve the SDGs. These challenges call for a strengthened commitment to multilateralism, cooperation, and bold action," said Dang Hoang Giang, deputy minister of foreign affairs.

"The Gaia Earth Artwork is a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility for the planet, our one and only home. It resonates strongly with the vision of the 2030 Agenda and the Declaration on Future Generations, which reaffirms the vital role of young people as agents of change and key partners in building a peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable world," said Deputy Minister Giang.

Artist Luke Jerram shared, “I hope the opportunity to see the Earth in its full splendour will be a humbling, inspiring, and unifying experience for everyone who encounters it. Knowing that Gaia is being hosted by UNIS Hanoi, a UN school interpreting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals through education and community, makes this installation especially powerful.”

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