Luke Jerram’s celestial installations have been captivating global audiences for almost a decade, and his latest project is no different. Helios, a seven-metre wide sculpture of the Sun, is making its first earthly appearance at the Assembly Rooms, available to see until 23 February, providing a new view of the star up close.
Since Luke Jerram’s 2016 exhibition Museum of the Moon, a seven-metre-wide sculpture of the moon that has since been presented in more than 40 countries, his astronomical portfolio has grown to include Gaia (2018) which visited Bath Abbey in 2023, Mars (2021) and, new for 2025, Helios.
Named after the Greek god of the Sun, Helios debuted at Bath Assembly Rooms for two free weekends in January, and will now be on display every day from 30 January until 23 February. Scaled so that each centimetre represents 2,000km of the real Sun’s surface, the breathtaking installation is a chance for audiences to see the Sun’s intricate details, complete with all its sunspots, fibres, solar flares and spicules, up close for the first time.
Luke said of the installation: “As an artist, my job is to come up with ideas, and in some ways that’s the easy bit. The hard bit is then delivering on my promise, which is to create artworks that inspire and uplift people.
“Helios has taken more than six months to create, and there has been a huge amount of development and testing along the way, failures and successes, but I’m really pleased with the way it’s turned out. I love to see the surface ripple with the internal lighting – I think it really animates it and brings it to life.
“This artwork also allows you to walk all the way around it and see it from different angles – there’s a warmth to it, and in the middle of winter having an artwork like this is rather uplifting and gives people a sense of warmth and wellbeing.”
Luke’s background is in intergalactic artwork, and having been elected Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2019, Helios was made in close collaboration with specialists in the field. The imagery for the artwork was compiled using photographs of the Sun provided by astrophotographer Dr Stuart Green (taken between May 2018 and June 2024) and NASA observations of the Sun, with guidance from solar scientist Professor Lucie Green of University College London.
The installation fuses solar imagery and sunlight with a specially created surround-sound composition by Duncan Speakman and Sarah Anderson that includes NASA recordings of the Sun. This is a fully immersive experience where people can take the time to consider the scale and significance of the installation and the Sun itself.
With the Sun as a life-giving force for humanity and its cultural and spiritual significance in many societies globally, the artist hopes that the installation will present an opportunity for people to come together and connect across communities.
Commenting on the project, 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.
The sculpture hangs from the centre of the Ball Room ceiling at the Assembly Rooms, and audiences are given a 360° view, allowing them to walk right underneath it, experiencing its wonder amid the grandeur of the Grade I listed building.
Throughout 2025, The National Trust will display Helios at various locations across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to make the installation as accessible to as many people as possible.
Luke Jerram’s Helios is on display at Bath Assembly Rooms daily from 30 January – 23 February, 12pm – 6pm. Tickets are free for National Trust Members, or £5 for adults and £2.50 for children age 5–17. Free for under 5s.
Normal admission rates apply; visit welcometobath.co.uk to book.
Bath Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, Bath; nationaltrust.org.uk/ visit/bath-bristol/bath-assembly-rooms