– Monofrequency lights, projection foil, haze machines, mirror foil, aluminium, and scaffolding,
26.7 m x 22.3 m x 155.4 m – Installation in Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, London
Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson
Olafur Eliasson (born 1967) is an Icelandic-Danish artist known for sculptures and large-scale installation art employing elemental materials such as light, water, and air temperature to enhance the viewer’s experience.
Eliasson’s views on art inspire us to see and consider differently our relationship with art – of course – but also with work. And, why not, motivate us to bring the power of art inside work.
Here are a few insights taken from a paper he wrote for the World Economic Forum:
« Art does not show people what to do, yet engaging with a good work of art can connect you to your senses, body, and mind. It can make the world felt. And this felt feeling may spur thinking, engagement, and even action. »
« I believe that one of the major responsibilities of artists (…) is to help people not only get to know and understand something with their minds but also to feel it emotionally and physically. »
« The important thing is not that we agree about the experience that we share, but that we consider it worthwhile sharing an experience at all. In art and other forms of cultural expression, disagreement is accepted and embraced as an essential ingredient. »
« I am convinced that by bringing us together to share and discuss, a work of art can make us more tolerant of difference and of one another. »
« Art helps us identify with one another and expands our notion of we – from the local to the global. »
