Olafur Eliasson

Olafur Eliasson‘s works utilize and imitate the natural elements of light, water, fire, and air, using these components to create stunning optical spectacles. The artist was born in 1967 in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he spent most of his childhood. Eliasson attended the Royal Academy of Arts in Copenhagen from 1989 to 1995, and in 1996, began studying under architect and geometry expert Einar Thorsteinn, who inspired much of Eliasson’s later interest in geometry and space.
Although the artist also works in photography and sculpture, he is best known for his large-scale installation art pieces. One of his best-known installations was The Weather Project, created in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern, London. The piece, which drew 600,000 visitors in the first month alone, used lamps, mirrors, and humidifiers to create a large, indoor simulation of the sun. Other famous pieces include The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London, in 2007 and The New York City Waterfalls, New York, in 2008. His work has been featured in many prominent museums, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; and MoMA PS1, New York. Eliasson was also chosen to represent Denmark at the 2003 Venice Biennale.  In reference to his own work, the artist commented, “Reality is confusing. That’s what I want to demonstrate. There is no fixed interpretation of my works. Everyone experiences and understands them in his own way.”
The artist now lives in Copenhagen and Berlin, and continues to create photographs, sculptures, and installation pieces.