The National Trust has announced that it will display a renowned artist’s newest giant sculpture of the sun at Seaton Delaval Hall this spring.

Helios by Luke Jerram, is named after the ancient Greek mythological god of the sun. The sculpture fuses solar imagery, sunlight and a specially created surround sound composition, including NASA recordings.

The imagery for the artwork has been compiled using photographs of the sun. At an approximate scale of 1:200 million, each centimetre of the sculpture represents 200km of the sun’s surface.

The piece premiered this month, and Seaton Delaval Hall will be the second location for the tour, from Wednesday 19 March to Sunday 6 April.

Artist, Luke Jerram with Helios in Bath Assembly Rooms. (Credit: James Dobson)

placeholder image — Artist, Luke Jerram with Helios in Bath Assembly Rooms. (Credit: James Dobson)

Emma Thomas, general manager for Seaton Delaval Hall, said: ‘”We’re thrilled to welcome Helios to Seaton Delaval Hall this spring.

"That Luke will tour his work here is a fitting tribute to the creative practitioners who have gone before under the hall’s longstanding involvement in and support of the arts. To host Helios is a fantastic launch of the hall’s creative programme for 2025."

Helios follows Luke’s successful astronomical artworks ‘Museum of the Moon’, ‘Gaia’ and ‘Mars’.

He commented: "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.

Helios' first location was Bath Assembly Rooms. (Credit: James Dobson)

“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.”

The Trust’s director of Access and Conservation John Orna-Ornstein added: ‘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.”