Luke Jerram’s ‘Helios’ stunning sculpture of the sun, currently hangs in the ruins of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire. As the darker evenings of autumn and winter begin to approach, ‘Helios’ reminds us all that the sun always is always rising somewhere, that summer is always returning, and that our connection with the sun is a powerful affirmation of life.
Named after the sun god in ancient Greek mythology, this seven-metre spherical sculpture of the sun combines light, solar imagery and sounds recorded by NASA to render the sun’s intricate details in a new light. One centimetre of this impressive sculpture represents 2,000km of the sun’s surface, stunning visitors with its depth of visual information on sunspots and the origins of solar flares.
The weekend of 11-12 October were the final nights to see this immersive and hugely popular art installation at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, with tickets having quickly sold out in advance. ‘Helios’ will then continue its journey to other National Trust properties and other locations around the country.
Illuminating the darkness
Jerram’s innovative installation is illuminated from within and has a detailed surface made up from solar imagery. Impressive enough in the daytime, the sculpture is transformed in the evenings. When darkness falls, the sun ripples and shimmers with light and gives the impression of being alive – pulsating in the darkness.
Speaking to Yorkshire Bylines, Jerram commented : “It took six months to design and refine the special internal rippling lighting that illuminates the Sun. I’m really pleased by the final result. It looks beautiful and mimics the liquid movement of the actual Sun’s surface.”
Jerram, who has also created the renowned installations of ‘Museum of the Moon’, ‘Mars’ and ‘Gaia’, said that ‘Helios’ offers visitors an opportunity “to enjoy the filaments and details of the sun in a way that they can’t obviously because the sun is too dangerous to look at”. He continued: “And it’s got this amazing rippling light inside it, which is a sort of new element. So, I’m really hoping that the public will enjoy this new artwork. I think creating a sculpture of the sun seemed to make sense. I really enjoy the fact that the sun has a universal appeal and a great significance in all cultures and different religions around the world as well.”
“I’ve worked with the National Trust over many years on different artworks and of course they have this amazing array of properties all across the country. And so they act as a perfect backdrop for this new artwork and so it’s been a really nice partnership working with the National Trust again and we’re looking forward to seeing what the public’s response is to this new sculpture.”
Speaking about the interaction between the installation and the historical significance of Fountains Abbey, Jerram remarked, “Helios does look extraordinary in Fountains Abbey especially at night, so I’m really glad the artwork was presented there. I love the way the history of the monks that used to live there used to revolve around the Sun – the time of day and seasons of the year dictating their work and activities”.
On Jerram’s work and the staging at Fountains Abbey, the National Trust eagerly enthused over ‘Helios’, telling Yorkshire Bylines:
“We’re so pleased with how well received Helios has been. We’ve been inundated with positive feedback from our visitors, interest from the media and amount of people who have come to the site to see it in place. Over the three days we were able to display the artwork, we welcomed over 15,000 visitors. It’s been a huge amount of work to get it here but the reaction has made it all worth it.”
A moving public response
Becky Young, who travelled to visit the installation from Windsor, certainly responded positively to the sculpture, praising the inclusive and immersive nature of the installation:
“I think the immersive experience was particularly moving when a disabled child was able to be included in the exhibition by being taken from his chair and placed on a bean bag laid underneath the sun. The experience was multi-sensory and the sound made me want to stop, that’s what drew me in – to be able to sit for longer. I felt compelled to get out my sketchbook and do some drawing of it and capture not just what I could see visually, but what the music and experience added.”
Young’s response, focusing on the multi-sensory aspect of the installation, echoed the central theme and message of the importance of humanity’s relationship with the sun. An information board noted: “The soundtrack accompanying ‘Helios’ was created by Duncan Speakman and Sarah Anderson. It features the sounds of fire and heat, NASA space recordings from their sun missions, the dawn chorus, a beach in the height of summer; sun and light-related religious festivals, as well as uplifting ambient music to communicate the importance of the sun for our collective health and wellbeing.”
Always the sun – hope and light in troubled times
Standing enchanted under the suspended sun of ‘Helios’ as one of the spellbound crowd, the need to take pause and contemplate the primal connection between our world and the sun was overwhelming. I reflected on the words of Tolkien which offer hope in our troubled world:
“How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.”
We do live in dark and troubled times, but the sun sculpture of ‘Helios’ reminds us that the light is always there and, for that alone, Jerram needs to be thanked.
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