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 Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2024 issue 2
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
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 Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2024 issue 2
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
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
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