Olafur Eliasson’s new exhibition tackling climate emergency

Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, better known for his sculptures and large-scale installation art, returns to the Tate Modern with a whole new exhibition, Olafur Eliasson: In real life – a collection of projects that show how Eliasson brings to our attention some of today’s most urgent issues.

In 2003, his world- renowned installation, The weather project, marked a turning point for contemporary art. There, Eliasson managed to transform the iconic Turbine Hall into a social space where sculptures were “bound up with the experience of being together with other visitors.”

Now, his latest exhibition explores his deep engagement with society and the environment, where some of the artwork is designed to introduce natural phenomena and others use shadows to play with the way humans perceive and interact with the world.

On the terrace outside the Tate Modern, visitors will encounter Eliasson’s Waterfall (2019), a dramatic new installation. Inside, they will be greeted by Moss wall (1994), Beauty (1993) and Din blinde passager (2010) – installations that play with reflections, inversions, after-images and shifting colours. More of his artwork inside will “address the impact humans have on the environment” and will include a series of photographs of Iceland’s glaciers taken by Eliasson in 1999.

The show culminates with a space called The Expanded Studio, which “explores Eliasson’s deep engagement with social and environmental issues.” This includes the Little Sun, the Green light and Ice Watch – all of which aim to increase awareness of the climate emergency.

Olafur Eliasson: In real life is at Tate Modern from 11 July 2019 until 5 January 2020.