LOVE YOUR PLANET Gerry Hofstetter 180 x 120 cm Fine art print on Hahnemühle Photo-RAG Baryta paper, 315gsm Mounted on aluminium Framed in a Swiss-made black wood shadow gap frame – Profile: 15/53mm Shadow gap of 3mm to 5mm, image set approximately 3mm back Precisely backlit projection with LED panels and power connection Original signature by the artist, Gerry Hofstetter, upon handover Includes film trailer documenting the creation of the projection Certificate: Certificate of authenticity by the artist The proceeds from the sale of the artwork will go towards the ‘SOS World Tour 2025’ project. SOS World Tour 2025 In support of the UN’s Year of Glacier Preservation 2025 The SOS World Tour is a global expedition across all eight continents, aiming to project the letters ‘SOS’ onto one glacier per continent. These giant letters will be visible and photographable from space, sending a powerful message about the urgent need to preserve our planet’s glaciers. In just 40 years, 80% of the visible glaciers and their vital water sources could vanish. The photo titled ‘Love Your Planet’ is a stunning fine art piece by Swiss light artist Gerry Hofstetter, featuring a projection of Earth in heart form on snow-covered mountain peaks, captured during a rare moment of perfect natural alignment. The image, precisely backlit with LED panels, invites viewers to experience the fragile beauty of our planet as though seen from space, offering a deeply immersive and contemplative visual experience. To achieve a projection over such great distances, various factors must align precisely, coming together at the exact minute to capture the image with the right photographer and specialised cameras. On 16 January 2024 at 7:55 pm, the moment arrived. The temperature was -18°C, the moon was the right size, and it was perfectly positioned in the frame of the night sky. The weather briefly shifted from snowfall to a brief high-pressure clearing, before returning to poor conditions and more snow. During this fleeting nocturnal window, the clouds parted, revealing the moon and stars. The cold, clear air and the moon's light mystically illuminating the freshly snow-covered mountain slopes made the projected Earth glow with a fragile beauty, as though seen from space. It also gave the appearance of one planet resting on another. The contours of the projection surface, shaped by the twin mountain peaks, caused the Earth to appear in the form of a heart. Recognising the interplay between nature, topography, and the message of the projection is an art in itself. The ability to swiftly see how the shape of the mountains could transform the spherical Earth into a heart by slightly adjusting the projector’s position—thereby communicating an entirely new message on both a terrestrial and cosmic scale—is another form of artistry. Intuitively and spontaneously realising that one's own presence could enhance the impact of the projection, or even create a new layer of meaning, is the freedom of art and broad creativity. In this moment, Gerry steps near the projector, into the beam of light, and raises both hands toward the Earth. After traveling 1.5 kilometres, the projection strikes the mountain slopes at the speed of light, and Gerry’s shadow, cast at the lower edge of South America, is barely noticeable compared to the scale of the Earth. And yet, on closer inspection, there it is—Gerry’s small shadow, standing as if in space, helpless, questioning—or is he trying to protect the Earth from rolling away? Perhaps he is praying to it, thanking it, trying to embrace it? It is left to the viewer to interpret this symbolism and reflect on how it resonates with them. The expression of this delicate, multi-layered message, set against the archaic beauty of the Swiss mountains—an integral part of our planet—reveals that the vision for this image existed in the artist's mind long before its realisation. Yet nothing was left to chance in this fleeting art installation, ensuring that the right moment was seized—through a combination of experience, knowledge, skill and luck. To allow viewers to truly experience the original impact of the image, Gerry conceived an idea and created a unique work of art, a world premiere once again involving light. The Earth in the image is precisely backlit, maintaining its authentic shape. Since the moon was also illuminated that evening by the sun, the moon in the image is backlit as well. This subtle unity of light, photograph, and image allows the observer to immerse themselves in the very moment the image was created. It lets them feel the same effect that Gerry experienced during the projection, which took place without any human presence, in remote and inhospitable locations. Through this artwork, Gerry gives the owner of the image the sensation of having been there on that night, present with Gerry and his photographer Frank Schwarzbach during the projection and creation of the moment. The owner can quietly enjoy the image and its profound effect every day and every night, just as it was originally brought to life in that fleeting instance. ------------------------------------------------- LOVE YOUR PLANET Gerry Hofstetter. 180 x 120 cm. Fine Art Print auf Hahnemu?hle Photo-RAG Baryta Papier, 315g/m². Aufgezogen auf Aluminium. Gerahmt in einem in der Schweiz gefertigten schwarzen Holzrahmen mit Schattenfuge. Hinterleuchtet mit LED-Panels. Originalsignatur des Ku?nstlers Gerry Hofstetter bei der Übergabe. Inklusive Filmtrailer, der die Entstehung der Projektion dokumentiert. Zertifikat: Echtheitszertifikat vom Ku?nstler Der Erlös aus dem Verkauf des Kunstwerks fließt in das Projekt "SOS World Tour 2025". Die SOS World Tour 2025: Der Lichtkünstler Gerry Hofstetter wird 2025 um den Globus zu 8 Kontinenten reisen, um die Buchstaben „SOS“ auf einen Gletscher pro Kontinent zu projizieren. Diese riesigen Projektionen werden aus dem Weltraum sichtbar sein und auch aus dem All fotografiert, als Teil des UN-Jahres zur Erhaltung der Gletscher 2025. In 40 Jahren werden 80 % der weltweit sichtbaren Gletscher und deren Wasser verschwunden sein, was dieses Projekt zu einem buchstäblichen SOS-Signal an die Welt macht. Das Foto mit dem Titel Love Your Planet ist ein beeindruckendes Kunstwerk des Schweizer Lichtkünstlers Gerry Hofstetter. Es zeigt eine Projektion der Erde in Herzform auf schneebedeckte Berggipfel in den Schweizer Alpen und wurde in einem seltenen Moment perfekter natürlicher Ausrichtung aufgenommen. Das Bild, lädt den Betrachter ein, die fragile Schönheit unseres Planeten aus einer Perspektive wie aus dem Weltraum zu erleben und bietet dabei eine tief berührende und kontemplative visuelle Erfahrung. Um eine Projektion über so große Distanzen zu realisieren, müssen verschiedene Faktoren perfekt zusammenkommen. Am 16. Januar 2024, um 19:55 Uhr, bei -18°C war dieser Moment gekommen. Der Mond war perfekt positioniert, das Wetter änderte sich von starkem Schneefall zu einem kurzen Hochdruckfenster, das es ermöglichte, dieses aussergewöhnliche Foto einzufangen. Gerrys Vision, die sich in der harmonischen Verschmelzung von Natur, Topografie und Botschaft der Projektion ausdru?ckt, zeigt, wie wahre Kunst entsteht – durch Intuition, Erfahrung und das richtige Timing. An jenem Abend trat Gerry selbst in den Lichtstrahl der Projektion und gab diesem Werk somit eine noch persönlichere Note.