When must-see is truly a must-see…

This is the second installment in our series to explore Art and the Five Senses where we are looking at the most apparent sense to think about when we discuss art. The way light travels into our brains and forges emotion, connection, and all that good stuff.

As you by now know: The Heidi Horten Collection in Vienna is showing LIGHT SOUND SENSES from 20 September 2024 – 23 March 2025. Inspired by this we asked our beloved Gallery Girl London aka Lizzy Vartanian as an art historian and the wonderful Melisza Neckel a Capetonian in Vienna and a Psychotherapist, with a private practice, how the senses relate to art and our enjoyment and experience of it.

We will cover all 5 senses in the coming months and urge you to go see the show if you can, tune into the works described, see what your own senses tell you about the show, the work and yourself.

Sense Two: Seeing

​​When someone mentions the word “art”, you automatically think of a visual image. Until very recently, having art without sight was practically unheard of. Since the beginning of time, the visible image has been a method of communication. Art is so special because it speaks to audiences who might not know the same language as its creator. This is all thanks to the fact that the artwork itself is perceivable.

But what do we need to see? Besides our eyes, the answer is light. Leonardo Da Vinci is often credited with being the first to scientifically study light and how it affects our perception. In the SENSES exhibition, several artists utilise luminous structures to draw the viewer in. Brigitte Kowanz’s light installation creates an immersive environment, challenging the viewer’s perception. The work emits “OMG” in Morse code in LED light, reflecting onto a canvas. 

The use of electricity in Kowanz’s work is relatively new. Today light art is pretty common thanks to artists like Tracey Emin and James Turrell. But throughout art history light has been a hot commodity, with artists often painting by candlelight and under gas lamps, straining their eyes long before Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity in the 18^th century. Joseph Wright of Derby’s Three Persons Viewing the Gladiator by Candlelight from 1765 is just an example of artists studying a sculpture lit by a candle, being able to create work thanks to the glimmer of a flame.

Not only does light allow the artist to create their work, but it also gives us the ability to view it. It is just as important to the artist as the viewer. That said, the viewer’s ability to see is arguably more important, because it allows the artist’s work to be seen.

Throughout art history, there has not been a single art movement that has not had their own unique fascination with light. For centuries techniques like chiaroscuro (light and dark) and sfumato have defined movements from the Renaissance to Impressionism.

In contemporary art, artificial light plays a big role in how we see artworks. Our sense of sight adjusts depending on whether we see something in natural, candle or neon light. Most importantly, light enables us to perceive color. Olafur Eliasson’s New Berlin Spere in the Heidi Horten show reflects light onto panes of colored magenta, cyan and yellow glass, the colors of the CMYK model used in modern printing. Therefore bringing the viewers’ attention to the fundamental shades that allow us to see art in multiple different tones and hues.  

Artists have also used other techniques to capture our attention. Historically, the presence of bright whites and yellows were incorporated to indicate a celestial being, as in Gustave Moreau’s 1874 painting The Apparition.

Meanwhile, gold leaf was all the rage in reflecting the light and catching our attention. Conversely, during the impressionist period, artists sought not to use their use of paint to bring our attention to one specific spot, but instead chose to reflect natural light, with a particular interest on how sunlight affects how we view an image.

Sight is arguably the most pivotal sense when it comes to art, but it is not always as it seems. The artist must be smart, placing their spotlight where they want our attention to focus. Next time you see an artwork and think what you see is a literal interpretation, remember that it is the artist who momentarily has control of your vision.

But how does seeing even work? What happens so we can see?

The sense of sight is essential to our experience of the external world. The sense of seeing/sight involves the visual cortex of the brain. It is one of the most-studied parts of the mammalian brain, and it is where the fundamental building blocks of our vision are created. This is the detection of contrast, color and movement, which are combined to produce our complete visual perception. It is complex to understand how this works in the brain, but simply put, vision occurs when light is processed by the eye and interpreted by the brain. The occipital lobe also known as the vision center of the brain is responsible for observing and processing the signals sent from the outside world through the eyes. 

To start with, light hits the retina of the eye, which is a layer of tissue at the back of the eye, which is sensitive to light. Then special cells called photoreceptors turn the light into electrical signals, which travel from the retina through the optic nerve to the brain. The brain then turns these signals into the images you see. 

It is important to differentiate between visual acuity which is how clearly someone sees and visual perception which refers to the brain’s ability to make sense of what the eye sees. Visual perception is the brain giving meaning to what it sees and this is extremely important when it comes to art. Two people can have the same sensory experience visiting the Light Sound Senses exhibition at the Heidi Horton Collection but can interpret this experience differently.  The person’s interpretation can be influenced by many factors including past experiences, culture, background, temperature, mood and personal preferences. Even the colors of the light can be influenced by physiological factors such as there are studies showing that the biological sex of the person can influence how they see and interpret certain colors, lights and shapes. 

Olafur Eliasson, Your Uncertain Shadow

Olafur Eliasson’s installation “Your Uncertain Shadow” consists of coloured halogen lamps directed at a white wall. The colors – blue, magenta, orange, and green – cast vibrant body shadows on the opposite wall as visitors move in front of the lights. The installation encourages movement and interaction with the light and shadow effects. Eliasson sees visitors as active participants who shape the artwork through their movements. His goal is to make art an experience, facilitating communication and connection. 

From a psychotherapeutic perspective, this installation is fascinating! It incorporates similar aspects like in the therapy room. A therapy session needs to encourage movement, communication and connection, which in turn, allows for reflection, exploration and discovery. This installation resonates with the need for a client to involve themselves in the process. It can also be viewed as an installation that brings forward many methods and or schools of therapy such as movement therapies also known as somatic practices, that utilize the body. We could also interpret the use of shadow work, which is a type of psychotherapy, first developed by Carl Jung. Shadow work focuses on parts of the psyche that people keep hidden such as trauma. 

Eliasson’s use of the word visitor is also appealing to the therapy context, as clients are visitors to the space. The installation gives value to the possibility of change in the visitor or client. The shadows and colors appear and move with the person, and could illustrate the bond between the client and the therapy process. The light in a therapy room can also have profound effects on the session itself and this is completely individual. The light can also hinder the therapy process, such as, affecting the clients comfortability and feelings of safety. This can result in distress and even mistrust which are not conducive to a therapy process.  

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Introduction by Anna Maja Spiess. First Paragraph by Lizzy Vartanian. Second Paragraph by Melisza Neckel.

The exhibition featuring the works by Eliasson and Kowanz is LIGHT SOUND SENSES at the Heidi Horten Collection, Vienna. 20 September 2024 – 23 March 2025

Brigitte Kowanz’s Website & Olafur Eliassons Website.

EVENT ALERT: planning your Vienna trip?

Have it coincide with the special event the Heidi Horten Collection is hosting a under the Motto: “With eyes shut a Yin Yoga Nidra meets Olafur Eliasson session on Dec 15 at 7pm.

And on Jan 28th 2025 at both 5pm & 6pm there is a special guided tour: Spotlight on: László Moholy-Nagy the great revolutionary light artist.

Header image:
^{Brigitte Kowanz, Light Up, 2010, Neon, paint, wood; Heidi Horten Collection © Ouriel Morgensztern/Heidi Horten Collection}