British artist Luke Jerram continues his celestial exploration with Helios, a seven-meter-diameter touring installation that brings the Sun’s volatile surface into intimate proximity. Co-commissioned by institutions including the National Trust and Liverpool Cathedral, the internally lit spherical sculpture utilizes high-definition solar imagery to transform scientific data into a profound sensory experience, currently illuminating heritage sites across the UK and beyond.
A cosmic encounter allows the public to engage with our nearest star in a way that is physically impossible in nature. While the actual Sun demands a protective distance, Jerram’s interpretation invites a lingering gaze, presenting a safe, tactile-looking rendition of an otherwise blinding force. This large-scale public artwork functions as both a scientific document and a poetic intervention, shrinking the Sun to a scale of 1:200 million, where every centimeter of the printed surface represents roughly 2,000 kilometers of solar reality.
The fusion of data and art is achieved through a meticulous collaboration with astrophotographers and solar scientists. Using imagery from Dr. Stuart Green and NASA observations, the sculpture reveals a complex topography of sunspots, spicules, and filaments. It serves as a static record of a dynamic entity, even featuring the specific solar flares responsible for the rare appearance of the Northern Lights across the UK in May 2024. This grounding in specific temporal events elevates the piece from a mere model to a storyteller of our current atmospheric history.
Immersion through light and sound defines the atmosphere surrounding the glowing orb. The internal illumination creates a soft, pulsing radiance that mimics the energy of the Greek god for whom the piece is named. To complete the multisensory environment, a bespoke soundscape by Duncan Speakman and Sarah Anderson provides a sonic weight to the visual spectacle. The composition hums with a low-frequency intensity, suggesting the immense power and gravitational pull of a star that has governed human religion and culture for millennia.
The scale of human perception is challenged as visitors walk beneath and around the sphere. By placing such a monumental object within the familiar confines of cathedrals or urban plazas, Jerram creates a jarring yet beautiful contrast between the terrestrial and the cosmic. The installation acts as a reminder of our reliance on this celestial engine for warmth and energy, highlighting the fragile balance of our planetary ecosystem while celebrating the Sun as the primary source of all life.
Technical precision meets mythology in the naming and execution of the work. Named after the personification of the Sun in ancient Greek mythology—who drove his chariot across the sky to mark the passage of seasons—the piece bridges the gap between ancient wonder and modern physics. Under the guidance of Professor Lucie Green from UCL, the project ensures that while it captures the imagination, it remains a rigorous educational tool capable of sparking curiosity about solar science and the mechanics of the universe.
A legacy of celestial storytelling follows Jerram’s previous global successes, including the Museum of the Moon and Gaia. His work consistently seeks to democratize science, stripping away the complexity of the laboratory to present the raw beauty of the cosmos. By transforming data into a tangible presence, he fosters a collective experience where thousands of people can share a moment of quiet reflection beneath a simulated star, contemplating their place in the vastness of space.
Beyond the solar surface, this fascination with celestial light and geometry resonates with other contemporary interventions that challenge our perception of the sky and its infinite narratives. For those drawn to the intersection of technology and the ethereal, the Luna Somnium installation by fuse* at the Rome Gasometer offers a similarly haunting exploration of our satellite through digital algorithms. Likewise, the recent work of SpY in Xi’an, China, explores the division of light and shadow on a monumental scale. Together, these projects form a new dialogue in contemporary art, urging us to look upward and rediscover the wonders of the natural world through a digital and sculptural lens.