An incredible seven-metre-wide sculpture modelled after the sun, known as Helios, will grace various National Trust locations come 2025. Created by renowned artist Luke Jerram, famous for his cosmic installations Museum Of The Moon, Gaia, and Mars, Helios is set to awe visitors with its intricate design and accompanying soundscape.
Celebrated in the Bath Assembly Rooms’ Georgian Ball Room, a venue once frequented by the likes of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, the piece was proudly introduced. Crafting a safely observable sun, Jerram expressed: “We all know that it is very dangerous to look directly at the sun, as it can damage our eyesight.”
“Helios provides a safe opportunity for the public to get up close to, and inspect, its extraordinarily detailed surface including sunspots, spicules and filaments.”
Furthermore, he added, “The Northern Lights are one of the greatest wonders and displays of art in the natural world. ” And, to encapsulate the essence of this celestial show, he revealed, “I’ve incorporated the source of the solar flares which caused this phenomenon to be visible over the UK in May 2024.”
“I hope that the soundscape, lighting and sheer scale of Helios will combine to make an extraordinary and uplifting experience for the public and I cannot wait to see it showcased in some of the most wonderful locations around England, Wales and Northern Ireland.”
Visitors are in for a treat as the Helios installation, with its 1:200 million scale representation of the sun’s surface, lights up various historic venues across the UK. The internally lit spherical structure, where each centimetre equates to 200km of the sun’s surface, will first illuminate the Assembly Rooms in Bath, Somerset from January 11 to February 23.
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Following Bath, Helios will grace sites such as Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire and Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire, aligning with Diwali festivities. To kick off, the piece will be displayed free of charge during its opening weekend in Bath, and later in Coventry and Lewisham, as part of the National Trust’s commitment to accessibility.
John Orna-Ornstein, the National Trust’s director of access and conservation, expressed excitement about the project: “Helios provides a simple and bold way to connect the public to the National Trust’s ambitions for the coming 10 years, heralded in its new strategy.”
He added that Helios is set to be a dramatic focal point for events and programming aimed at drawing more people into nature and cultural experiences.
“We will be showcasing the installation alongside our partners, local councils and others we work with, to ensure that more people than ever can connect with, and be inspired by, great works of art.”
The artwork, named Helios, is a joint commission by the National Trust, Cork Midsummer Festival, Liverpool Cathedral, Old Royal Naval College and University College London. The title ‘Helios’ is derived from the ancient Greek god who drove a four-horse chariot across the sky each day, marking the hours and seasons.
(Image: © 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)
The visuals for the piece have been created using photographs of the Sun provided by Dr Stuart Green, and Nasa observations, under the guidance of solar scientist Professor Lucie Green of University College London. Tom Boden, general manager for Bath Assembly Rooms, expressed his excitement: “It’s an enormous honour to be the launch venue.”
He added: “Luke’s artworks are visually stunning and a fantastic conversation starter for some of the really pressing issues affecting society today.”
He continued: “It feels timely that we are able to bring Helios to Bath, when we are about to embark on an ambitious project for the Assembly Rooms, that will reaffirm its key role as a place of connection.”
He concluded: “I can’t wait for visitors to immerse themselves in this sensory experience.”
He also noted: “The diversity of other locations Helios will be installed at will mean that every time someone witnesses it, they will have a totally different but no less inspiring experience.”
All tour dates and locations for Helios will be announced on the National Trust website.
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