Olafur Eliasson is among the most influential and widely acclaimed artists of his generation. From light-filled environments to walk-in kaleidoscopes, Olafur Eliasson’s unique participatory works offer alluring spaces that harness optical cognition and meteorological elements, examine the intersection of nature and science, and explore the boundary between the organic and the artificial.
Having been raised partly in Iceland, Eliasson’s practice is informed by that country’s landscape and spectacular weather. He recontextualises elements such as light, water, ice, fog, arctic moss, and lava rock to create altogether new circumstances that shift the viewer’s consciousness and sense of place. By extension, his work prompts an intensive engagement with the world and a fresh consideration of everyday life.
Take your time: Olafur Eliasson gathers works from major public and private collections worldwide and spans Eliasson’s diverse range of artistic production from 1993 to the present, including installations, large-scale environments, sculpture, and photography. The exhibition has been organised by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and curated by Madeleine Grynsztejn, Pritzker Director, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (and SFMOMA’s former Elise S. Haas Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture), in close collaboration with the artist.
MCA Director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor says: “Eliasson is emerging as a singularly influential artist on the world stage and we are proud to be able to present this major exhibition of his work to Australian audiences. We are delighted to have been able to work with one of the world’s most prestigious arts institutions SFMOMA, to make this extraordinary exhibition happen and we expect it to be hugely popular both with existing and new audiences for the Museum. As we are the only Australian venue presenting this show, we hope to attract visitors from interstate and overseas.”
Images, from top: Olafur Eliasson, 360° room for all colours, 2002 stainless steel, projection foil, fluorescent lights, wood, control unit, installation view at Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, 2002 (Private collection. Image courtesy the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York © the artist); Olafur Eliasson, One-way colour tunnel, 2007, stainless steel, colour-effect acrylic, and acrylic mirrors (Collection of the Art Supporting Foundation to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, © 2007 Olafur Eliasson; Photo: Ian Reeves Photography, Courtesy of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art).
