NZICC to host Luke Jerram’s ‘Helios’ sun sculpture

• January 28, 2026
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SkyCity and the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) have confirmed Helios, a six-metre, internally illuminated sculpture of the Sun by British artist Luke Jerram.

Created using astrophotography and solar imagery informed by NASA observations, Helios offers a rare, safe “up close” view of the Sun’s surface detail, including sunspots, spicules and filaments. The work is presented at an approximate scale of 1:230 million, meaning each centimetre represents 2,300 kilometres of the Sun’s surface.

Jerram, a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, said: “Helios offers a unique chance to stand face-to-face with the Sun and see its surface in extraordinary detail from sunspots to the very regions that triggered the Northern Lights visible from the UK in 2024. Presented in public spaces, the artwork changes with every location, season and community, becoming both a sculpture and a shared venue for music, science, reflection and wellbeing.”

Jerram says, “As a life-giver that has shaped culture, timekeeping and belief systems across the world, the Sun connects us all, and Helios invites awe, curiosity and collective creativity at its core.”

Helios is slated to feature as part of NZICC’s opening celebrations in February 2026, with the venue set to officially open its doors on 11 February 2026. Following the NZICC moment, Helios will move to a free public showcase at the Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall from 7–15 March 2026, presented in association with Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival, which returns 5–22 March 2026.

Helios follows Jerram’s widely toured astronomical artworks Museum of the Moon, Gaia and Mars, and is named after the ancient Greek god who personified the Sun.