OLAFUR
ELIASSON
"IN REAL LIFE"
I came across an ongoing exhibition featuring Olafur Eliasson at the Tate Modern in London, in December 2019. Having learnt about Eliasson while researching for art inspiration and having watched his documentary, I was excited that I could view his artworks in person and hope to share my experience with you through this article.
Your Uncertain Shadow (Colour), 2010
Image courtesy of Tan Wan Theng who visited the exhibition.
Model Room
I first came across the “Model Room” upon stepping into the exhibition. The room contained around 450 models, prototypes and geometric studies of various sizes. They were a record of Eliasson’s work with his studio team and with Icelandic artist, mathematician and architect Einar Thorsteinn (1942-2015). It was interesting to observe the thoughts and ideas in the midst of conceptualisation. Different materials such as copper wire, cardboard, paper photocopies, Lego, wood, foam and rubber balls were used to create these models.
Images courtesy of Tan Wan Theng who visited the exhibition.
Elements of Nature
Eliasson draws inspiration from nature and the weather. He played with lighting to alter the experience of space and architecture, connecting the experience of the Icelandic landscape to the practice of making sculpture. His artwork Regenfenster (Rain Window) (1999) recreated the effect of weather conditions.
In Moss Wall (1994) created from Scandinavian reindeer lichen, Eliasson adds an unexpected material from outdoors to the controlled indoor space of the museum. A holistic experience was created as the aroma and texture of the work engages one’s senses.
Images courtesy of Tan Wan Theng who visited the exhibition.
Din Blinde Passenger
Amongst the many works recreated in Eliasson’s exhibition, my most memorable was Din Blinde Passenger (Your Blind Passenger) (2010). The experiential manipulation of space from this artwork was created by a 39-metre long tunnel filled with fog. I could only see about 1.5 metres ahead as I went through. The floor was levelled with two doors at either end. The passage was one way only. The fog was made from water-soluble fog fluid containing non-toxic polyols - a sweetener often used in food production.
It was hard to describe this experience in words because it engaged me simply through my senses. Although my vision was limited by the fog, I could still perceive the changing colours as I moved through the tunnel. The experience was very surreal and fantastical. I experienced vivid feelings of anticipation of what was to come as I cautiously traversed through the tunnel. The use of sweeteners to artificially create the fog, created a mild sweet-smelling scent, allowing me to be fully immersed in the sensory experience. This work made me rethink about what art could accomplish, as the interactional quality of the work redefined the audience’s role in experiencing an artwork.
Here's a video capturing my journey through the tunnel:
Call for Climate Change
A significant part of the exhibition focused on Eliasson's call for action against the climate emergency and this was evident in his Glacial works featuring watercolour paintings. The watercolour paintings initially seemed quite ordinary but only after learning about Eliasson's art making process, did I truly appreciate this artwork. In Glacial Currents (2018), chunks of glacial ice were placed on top of washes of coloured pigment. This created swells and fades of colour as the ice melted onto the paper beneath, urging viewers to take action for climate change.
Images courtesy of Tan Wan Theng who visited the exhibition.
I hope you have gained more insight and learnt more about Eliasson's art through the few works I have shared in this article.
Watch these videos to find out more about the exhibition "In Real Life":
Visit the artist's website for more information:
Written and Designed by Tan Wan Theng, Mar 2020.