what did we EXHIBIT: OLAFUR ELIASON

("your eye activity field" 2009 as seen in the MCA Chicago lobby)

TAKE YOUR TIME OLAFUR ELIASON

Olafur Eliason, a Danish-Icelandic artist born in 1967, aims to have his audience not only see, but "seeing yourself seeing." he desires us to understand the actual form of the art and to understand that we are undergoing certain optical illusions. the art he creates is about being alert, hyper aware and having heightened senses. all of his work plays with the ideas of color, light, reflection, shapes and simultaneously fantastical and realistic realms. the natural world and iceland as a country form a main part of his inspiration and this influence is evident in his work.

throughout "Take Your Time" (to september 13) we are invited to "coproduce" the artwork we are experience. we are to finish the work with our memories, with our visualization, with our awareness of it. Olafur Eliason is successful in his desire to communicate to the audience how he sees and is also successful in his desire to provoke individual seeing and interpretation.


("room for one color" 1997 monochromatic yellow lights that turn everything to black and white)

("inverted berlin sphere" 2005 dazzling light with hundreds of triangular reflective faces)

("beauty" 1993 mist falling in a dark room, rainbow seen upon visualization)

also very well curated, the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago) has chosen an excellent set of artists for this exhibition period. also currently showing are Alexander Calder (to february 13, 2010), William Kentridge (to may 31) and Buckminster Fuller (to july 5). interestingly, the Buckminster Fuller exhibit on the top floor provides a nice complement and addition to the Olafur Eliason show. both artists explore similar geometric and mathematical shapes in art and are very aware of their audience and nature as a moving influence.

i definitely enjoyed my time wandering around the MCA (and the 45 minute tour of the Eliason show was actually very thought provoking) so if you're in the Chicago area - go. (tuesdays free admission!)