LUKE JERRAM
Since 2014, we have been creating films that showcase the work of British artist Luke Jerram. His large-scale installations and sculptures innovatively combine art, science, and community engagement to offer new perspectives on the world around us.
HELIOS
Helios is a large-scale sculpture of the Sun, currently on show at Bath Assembly Rooms and the Old Royal Naval College in London. This detailed artwork provides a close look at the Sun's surface and hosts a variety of solar-inspired events, including music, theatre, science talks, and wellness sessions.
LUNA
This artwork was commissioned by the COSMOS observatory on St Martin’s, Scilly Isles. The sculpture, 1 metre wide, was designed using detailed NASA images and maps of the moon’s surface. The mountains, valleys, and craters are shown in great detail, allowing people to closely explore the moon, including its far side, which is usually hidden.
Visitors can reflect on and discover the moon, which significantly affects daily life in the Scilly Isles by influencing the tides. The artwork aims to enhance their experience of viewing the real moon, both with the naked eye and through advanced telescopes at the observatory.
MARS
Measuring seven metres in diameter, this installation features detailed NASA imagery of the Martian surface at 120dpi resolution. Created at an approximate scale of 1:1 million, each centimetre of the internally illuminated spherical sculpture represents 10 kilometres of Mars' actual surface.
The artwork offers viewers a unique satellite-like perspective, allowing us to examine the Red Planet as though mapping it from above with extraordinary precision. Every valley, crater, volcano and mountain is meticulously rendered, inviting close inspection. Through this immersive experience, the installation transports observers to this distant, arid landscape, enabling us to imagine what it might be like to step foot on this fascinating planet.
First Breath
Each evening in January, it projected strong beams of light into the clouds to celebrate new life. The lights pulsed to show the number of babies born that day in Greater Manchester. People could walk around the artwork and see it from different parts of the city.
Jerram explains: “I want to highlight, celebrate, and connect the community of people giving birth daily in Greater Manchester. On average, 78 babies are born each day in January. This artwork celebrates the moment a child is born—the extraordinary moment of their first breath and the arrival of new life.”
The oil fountain
This installation invites viewers to confront our complex relationship with oil—a substance that has fundamentally shaped modern society. The sculpture serves as a powerful reminder that whilst petroleum-derived products surround us in everyday life, from the ubiquitous presence of plastics to countless other materials, humanity faces the urgent challenge of transitioning away from this dependency.
Through striking visuals and thoughtful commentary, the documentary examines how Jerram's work encourages us to reconsider our connection to this resource and contemplate a more sustainable future.
bridges not walls
"We build too many walls and not enough bridges" – Sir Isaac Newton
This temporary installation was commissioned by the Eisteddfod in Llangollen with support from the Welsh Government, marking Jerram's first major commission for Wales.
The Eisteddfod carries a long and distinguished history of collaborating with diverse communities and nations worldwide to unite people through shared creativity and a message of peace.
The 60-metre-long bridge was enveloped on both sides in patchwork, reflecting not only the crafts and cultures of Wales but also those of the participating nations at the Eisteddfod. Of the 1,000 patches incorporated, over 100 patchwork squares were designed and crafted by members of the public, fostering a profound sense of local pride and ownership within the community. Many visitors brought their friends and family to discover the artwork they had helped create. The installation successfully extended the Eisteddfod's creative spirit beyond the festival grounds and into the town itself, transforming and enlivening Llangollen.