7m sculpture of sun inspired by Greek God set to tour UK National Trust properties

A 7m sculpture of the sun inspired by a Greek God by artist Luke Jerram is set to tour the UK.

The sculpture is named Helios, and will be displayed at various locations across Northern Ireland, England and Wales throughout 2025.

Commissioned by the National Trust and sculpted by renowned artist Luke Jerram, the piece was inspired by Helios - the Ancient Greek mythological god who personified the sun.

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The sculpture fuses solar imagery, sunlight and a specially created surround sound composition, including NASA recordings of the sun, by Duncan Speakman and Sarah Anderson. At an approximate scale of 1:200 million, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 200km of the sun’s surface.

The tour will start on Friday 10 January, when the 7-metre sculpture will rise in the Georgian Ball Room at Bath Assembly Rooms, where it will remain until moving to its next location in Northumberland on 23 February.

Helios artist Luke Jerram said: “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.

“The Northern Lights are one of the greatest wonders and displays of art in the natural world. 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.”

Helios will then be installed at other National Trust locations across the country, including Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire and Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire, where it will be a focal point for the property’s popular Diwali celebrations. Ensuring that as many people as possible can experience Helios, it will be displayed in towns and cities across the UK, for free.

Commenting on Helios, the Trust’s Director of Access and Conservation John Orna-Ornstein said: ‘Working with Luke has been such a natural fit for the Trust. Both passionate about the climate crisis and ensuring that as many people can access the arts and culture as possible, Helios presented the ideal opportunity to collaborate.

“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. It will provide a dramatic focal point for specifically created events and programming, as we seek to engage more people with the benefits of experiencing nature and culture.

“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.”

Tom Boden, General Manager for Bath Assembly Rooms said: “It’s an enormous honour to be the launch venue. Luke’s artworks are visually stunning and a fantastic conversation starter for some of the really pressing issues affecting society today.

“I can’t wait for visitors to immerse themselves in this sensory experience. 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.”