Olafur Eliasson

Olafur Eliasson’s work is more than art for art’s sake alone. He is known for large-scale installations and sculptures created with the purpose of raising awareness about climate change and inspiring the viewer to take action to protect the natural environment. 

One of Eliasson’s most powerful outdoor installations, known as Ice-Watch, consists of thirty blocks of glacial ice set out to melt. Visitors can see, touch, and walk around these giant blocks of natural ice and see up close the effect of global warming on the glaciers of Greenland. Eliasson’s purpose is to go beyond dispensing information on a cerebral level. The artist seeks to tap into the viewer’s emotional connection to the imminent threat of global warming.  

Eliasson’s gained attention with his 2003  installation titled The Weather Project, featuring a giant sun rising out of the mist. The effect was created by placing a giant semicircle on a mirrored ceiling and the use of projection foil, haze machines, and street lamps. Visitors could have the experience of being close to the sun in the sky, and become connected to the solar system.