Luke Jerram’s Helios is getting its London premiere
If you’ve been dreaming of some winter sun but aren’t able to escape the city for warmer climes, fear not because the sun is now coming to you instead. Multidisciplinary artist Luke Jerram is bringing Helios, a seven-metre sculpture of the sun, to the Painted Hall in Greenwich’s Old Royal Naval College.
Like Jerram’s other astronomical installations, Museum of the Moon, Mars and Gaia, Helios, named after the Greek and Roman sun god, is an incredibly detailed, internally lit model of the sun. At a scale of 1:200 million (that means every centimetre of the model represents 200km of the sun), it’s been made using photographs by NASA and Astrophotographer Dr Stuart Green and allows you to get up close to the surface of the star – yes this is one sun you can actually stare at.
Accompanied by a surround sound composition created by Duncan Speakman and Sarah Anderson, Helios is an immersive experience that will allow you appreciate the power of the sun and the impact it has on human life and our mental wellbeing. As well as checking out the sculpture, a range of different events are being held under it from January to March, including a fine dining dinner with Doug McMaster, yoga, a silent disco and a Valentine’s Day dinner.


Speaking about the installation, Jerram said, “The soundscape, lighting and sheer scale of Helios, make this the most dramatic and ambitious of my designs and I cannot wait to see it showcased in the Painted Hall. This installation is designed to be thought-provoking and inspire awe. It is also a unique opportunity to discover the grandeur of this iconic Hall and the many celestial, mythological and historical themes it explores in its painted ceiling.”
Key Information
Dates | Sat 25th January – Tues 25th March 2025
Address | Old Royal Naval College, King William Walk, London, SE10 9NN
For more information | ornc.org