It all began in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in 2003 when Olafur Eliasson staged ‘The Weather Project’ – a combination of yellow lamps, mirrors, and mist to give the impression of the sun hanging over the hall – it was one of the top visited shows for the institution ever and images were spread all over the world. Now, 16 years later, he’s back with a stunning career retrospective, opening on July 11th.
Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life will focus on Eliasson’s talents from across his career and it doesn’t disappoint. From fog to a giant waterfall, a selection of older signature works and recent creations portray the bandwidth of the artist’s career, instagrammable, yes, but also mind-altering.
Amongst the early highlights is Moss wall, a giant 60-metre wide curtain of reindeer moss that results in the most impressive wall hanging you’ve ever seen.
Furthermore you will get caught up in Beauty, a truly incredible artwork in which a fine mist of rain lit by various spotlights, creates a mind-blowing illusion of an indoor rainbow.
In Your blind passenger, basically “a room full of fog”, visitors are invited to move through a misty space while you can see barely a metre beyond. While it feels slightly unsettling, yellow and purple hues surround you.
Other mind-bending installations include Your spiral view, a kaleidoscopic tunnel you can walk through, and the eponymous In real life, which throws shards of colourful light across the gallery.
And whilst the colours and artworks nourish your soul, Eliasson also is about to create a menu for the Tate’s Terrace Bar, inspired by the ethical, organic meals cooked in his Berlin studio to nourish your body.
Images via TATE
