Tag: olafur eliasson

Olafur Eliasson at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

Glass balls in a rainbow of color and a beautifully ephemeral light projection greet visitors to Olafur Eliasson’s gorgeous new solo show at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, an exhibition designed to give visitors ‘a moment to exhale.’  ‘We need a moment of relief, of beauty, of letting go,’ explains Eliasson, an ambition fulfilled by every piece in the exhibition, including this spherical light installation.  Created from green tinted glass and pink iridescent color-effect-filter glass, the piece reflects light of a single color while allowing its complementary color to pass through.  (On view through April 24th. Appointments, masks and social distancing required.)

Edgy but perfect kinship sphere, color-effect filter glass (pink), color glass (green), stainless steel, LED system, diameter: 43 1/4 inches, 2020.

Olafur Eliasson in ‘The Return of the Real’ at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

Changing light and the effect of light on architecture are two recurring themes in Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson’s work and in his new sculpture ‘Return of the Arctic light sphere,’ on view in its own gallery at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in Chelsea.  A strong LED light inside the sphere passes through blue glass and Fresnel glass, a material once used in lighthouses to increase the intensity of light.  Walk around the suspended sphere and the shadows change constantly, creating mesmerizing effects and giving viewers pause to consider the complexities of the sculpture’s geometry.  (On view Tues – Fri by appointment through August 28th.  Masks and social distancing required.)

Olafur Eliasson, Return of the Arctic light sphere, stainless steel, colored glass (shades of blue), Fresnel glass, mirror, aluminum, paint (black), LED system, wire, 55 1/8 x 55 1/8 x 55 1/8 inches, 2020.

Olafur Eliasson with Acute Art

Is your garden too dry or your day too sunny?  Olafur Eliasson offers a solution in ‘Wunderkammer,’ a selection of augmented reality artwork available for download that includes a placeable raincloud complete with the sound of pattering raindrops.  A puffin, a rainbow, a ladybug and more join the cloud as part a recent project launched by the newly high profile AR Art platform Acute Art to allow participants to create their own ‘cabinet of curiosities.’

Olafur Eliasson’s cloud in ‘Wunderkammer’ with Acute Art.

Olafur Eliasson at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

Olafur Eliasson introduces his latest exhibition at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery as political commentary with ‘The listening dimension,’ an installation of mirrored surfaces that invite personal reflection on the complexities of life. By creating an environment that gives viewers pause to consider an unusual space, Eliasson hopes to combat ‘oversimplification’ in the political realm and beyond. (In Chelsea through April 22nd).

Olafur Eliasson, installation view of ‘The listening dimension’ at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, March 2017.

Olafur Eliasson at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

Olafur Eliasson, Object defined by activity (now), Object defined by activity (soon) and Object defined by activity (then) (2009).

Though not many of Olafur Eliasson’s projects are going to measure up to the impact of his past large-scale artworks (creating waterfalls on New York City’s East River or a sun in the Tate’s Turbine Hall), his latest solo show at Chelsea’s Tanya Bonakdar Gallery features this simple but mesmerizing display of three fountains, lit by strobes, which turn moving water into seemingly static sculptures. (through Dec 22nd).