As Olafur Eliasson launches his
latest travelling exhibition in
Singapore, Magali Robathan takes
a look at some of the Icelandic
artist’s most celebrated works
My first introduction to the work of Olafur Eliasson was The weather project installation at the Tate Modern Turbine Hall in London in 2003. Like so many others who visited the exhibition, I was mesmerised by the illusion of a huge, misty indoor sunset. It was immersive, sensory, and thought-provoking, and as I lay on the floor surrounded by other people also staring dreamily up at the ‘sun’, I felt as though I was part of something.
Eliasson has a strong belief in the power of art, and in the idea that art should be accessible to everyone. As well as simulating the sunrise in London, he has built waterfalls in New York, transported icebergs from Greenland to Europe, recreated rainbows and built a huge riverbed in a Danish museum. His solo shows have appeared in major museums around the world, exploring themes including nature, sustainability, perception, architecture, climate change and more. His most recent solo show, A harmonious cycle of interconnected nows, was used to inaugurate the new Heatherwick-designed Azabudai Hills Gallery in central Tokyo. The exhibition showcased a selection of Eliasson’s artworks, all connected, according to the artist, by ideas of “deep time, slowness, motion and geometry”.
Eliasson’s public space projects include The New York City Waterfalls – a large scale public art exhibition consisting of four man-made waterfalls at four sites on New York’s waterfront – Your rainbow panorama, a circular brightly coloured walkway at the top of ARoS Museum in Denmark; and Ice Watch, which saw him team up with geologist Minik Rosing to bring free-floating icebergs from a fjord outside Nuuk, Greenland to public squares in European cities to raise awareness of the climate crisis.
Other projects include the development of the Little Sun solar LED lamp with engineer Frederik Ottesen, designed to get clean, affordable light to people living without electricity worldwide.
Here we celebrate Eliasson’s work.
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
03 March 2024 - 08 September 2024 In Abwesenheit
Sammlung Philara, Düsseldorf, Germany
19 February 2024 – 02 June 2024 Message from Our Planet: Digital Art From the Thoma Collection
Chazen Museum of Art, Madison, United States
10 May 2024 - 22 September 2024 Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey
Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
7 June 2024 - 9 February 2025 Senin beklenmedik karşılaşman (Your unexpected encounter)
Istanbul Modern, Turkey
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Eliasson and Frederik Ottesen developed the Little Sun solar-powered products to bring reliable, affordable light to the 1.1bn people living without electricity / The Davis Enterprise
Your rainbow panorama is a permanent work of art created by Eliasson on top of the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum in Denmark. It opened in 2011 / Photo: Thilo Frank / Studio Olafur Eliasson Courtesy of ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Denmark
The Ice Watch installation was created to raise awareness of climate change. It was installed in three cities / Photo: Martin Argyroglo.
Courtesy of the artist; neugerriemschneider, Berlin; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles
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As Olafur Eliasson launches his
latest travelling exhibition in
Singapore, Magali Robathan takes
a look at some of the Icelandic
artist’s most celebrated works
My first introduction to the work of Olafur Eliasson was The weather project installation at the Tate Modern Turbine Hall in London in 2003. Like so many others who visited the exhibition, I was mesmerised by the illusion of a huge, misty indoor sunset. It was immersive, sensory, and thought-provoking, and as I lay on the floor surrounded by other people also staring dreamily up at the ‘sun’, I felt as though I was part of something.
Eliasson has a strong belief in the power of art, and in the idea that art should be accessible to everyone. As well as simulating the sunrise in London, he has built waterfalls in New York, transported icebergs from Greenland to Europe, recreated rainbows and built a huge riverbed in a Danish museum. His solo shows have appeared in major museums around the world, exploring themes including nature, sustainability, perception, architecture, climate change and more. His most recent solo show, A harmonious cycle of interconnected nows, was used to inaugurate the new Heatherwick-designed Azabudai Hills Gallery in central Tokyo. The exhibition showcased a selection of Eliasson’s artworks, all connected, according to the artist, by ideas of “deep time, slowness, motion and geometry”.
Eliasson’s public space projects include The New York City Waterfalls – a large scale public art exhibition consisting of four man-made waterfalls at four sites on New York’s waterfront – Your rainbow panorama, a circular brightly coloured walkway at the top of ARoS Museum in Denmark; and Ice Watch, which saw him team up with geologist Minik Rosing to bring free-floating icebergs from a fjord outside Nuuk, Greenland to public squares in European cities to raise awareness of the climate crisis.
Other projects include the development of the Little Sun solar LED lamp with engineer Frederik Ottesen, designed to get clean, affordable light to people living without electricity worldwide.
Here we celebrate Eliasson’s work.
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
03 March 2024 - 08 September 2024 In Abwesenheit
Sammlung Philara, Düsseldorf, Germany
19 February 2024 – 02 June 2024 Message from Our Planet: Digital Art From the Thoma Collection
Chazen Museum of Art, Madison, United States
10 May 2024 - 22 September 2024 Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey
Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
7 June 2024 - 9 February 2025 Senin beklenmedik karşılaşman (Your unexpected encounter)
Istanbul Modern, Turkey
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Sabrina de Carvalho
Changes are coming for Italian theme park Gardaland, with the launch of a major new attraction and an upcoming milestone. Its CEO lets us into the plans
Theme parks: Adventure unleashed
Some seriously exciting new rides and theme parks are taking shape across the globe. We highlight a few of our favourites
Immersive attractions: Sam Bompas
From fireworks displays that you can taste to a breathable cocktail cloud, Bompas & Parr redefine immersive experiences. We hear about their latest project
Technology: Beyond the rides
How can holographic technology be used to wow visitors and connect with audiences? We get an expert opinion
Talking point: Peak experiences
People are increasingly searching for experiences that transcend their daily lives. How can attractions create environments that spark joy and transformation?
Immersive attractions: Tom Lionetti-Maguire
In 2015, an unemployed actor caught the public mood when he launched the Crystal Maze Live Experience. Now the CEO of Little Lion is moving into the world of live video games
First person: Mastering the magic
When it comes to using architecture to evoke emotion in theme park design, none do it better than Disney, argues Justyn Smith. Here’s what we can learn from the magic-makers
Eliasson and Frederik Ottesen developed the Little Sun solar-powered products to bring reliable, affordable light to the 1.1bn people living without electricity / The Davis Enterprise
Your rainbow panorama is a permanent work of art created by Eliasson on top of the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum in Denmark. It opened in 2011 / Photo: Thilo Frank / Studio Olafur Eliasson Courtesy of ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Denmark
The Ice Watch installation was created to raise awareness of climate change. It was installed in three cities / Photo: Martin Argyroglo.
Courtesy of the artist; neugerriemschneider, Berlin; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles
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