Olafur Eliassion brings rainbow to art museum
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An installation view of Olafur Eliassion’s “The Shape of Disappearing Time,” left, and “Your Unpredictable Path” at his solo exhibition “The parliament of possibilities” at Leeum / Courtesy of Leeum
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliassion brings nature to the art museum. Light, wind, water and stone all become art at his hand.
His new solo exhibit "The Parliament of Possibilities" at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in central Seoul, features 22 major works from Eliasson's oeuvre, ranging from early works from the 1990s to new pieces created for this exhibit.
"Atmosphere outside has influenced mankind. It is not nature anymore. It is culture," Eliasson said. The artist's exploration and interpretation of how nature and human influence and be influenced by each other is unraveled through this exhibition.
“Rainbow Assembly" basically consists of a water mist curtain and spotlights in a darkened room, but it magically creates rainbows in front of the viewer's eyes. The illusion constantly changes every moment.
Eliasson said three elements are needed to make a rainbow ― light, water and an eye from a certain angle.
"Welcome to the Rainbow Assembly. I stand here, you stand there and we see something different. Everyone's view is unique and the world depends on your eyes," the artist said.
He highlighted the role of visitors to the museum who complete the art.
"I am just a machine operator and you are the creator of this assembly. When you move, the perspective chances, so this is a first-person perspective experience," Eliasson said. "You are not a consumer, not a visitor but a producer or artist of the show."
Also, "Your Unpredictable Path" presents thousands of colored crystal spheres on a black backdrop where visitors find themselves reflected upside-down on the surface of the spheres. "By continually shifting in response to your movements and those of others, these dynamic reflections emphasize the ephemerality and contingency of the present moment," Leeum chief curator Woo Hye-soo said.
He overturns the nature of water in "Reversed Waterfall," in which water is pumped upwards in a four-tier scaffolding, suggesting thoughts about the relationship between human activity and nature.
"The Shape of Disappearing Time" is a geometric-shaped lighting devised by mathematician Paul Schatz in 1929. Eliasson put light inside of the 3D object, casting a beguiling pattern of lights and shadows onto the surroundings.
Eliasson believes that ordinary people have the power to change the world.
"Culture is an uncertain sector. It relates to education, language, how we speak and how we treat each other. This is why culture has unique ability to see existing premises and culture is a space where we reevaluate social and moral values. In times of uncertainty, culture is strength. Ambition and power will grow from the cultural sector," he said.
"I'm interested in the power of change from the bottom up ― the power in you. I don't want to become a leader, but I want to emphasize the importance of people outside. I am confident that combining intellectual knowledge with body and mind is a strong source of change. Reading news does not motivate change, but experience can. We both are strong.”
One of Eliasson's major works is available from the museum shop, rather than in the gallery. "Little Sun," a small sunflower-shaped lamp, is powered by solar energy. Eliasson co-created the lamp as part of his effort to bring sustainable energy to everyone.
“"I understand that sustainability is an important topic and am glad to participate in this dialogue,” he said.
Eliasson said it came from his ambition to combine something emotional and something functional.
"It is an experiment from me ― what if I can combine art with science and technology to make a sustainable world?" the artist explained. “Little Sun makes profit to support rural areas. It is our power to bring power to people in the world. Creativity plays a role in climate and energy."
The exhibit runs until Feb. 26, 2017. Admission is 8,000 won for adults. For more information, visit leeum.org or call 02-2014-6900.