Die organische und kristalline Beschreibung

Olafur Eliasson explores and unpicks natural phenomena to create installations that evoke the worlds of both scientific experimentation and theatre. He uses intangible elements such as temperature, humidity, scent and light to evoke physical sensations and turn the viewer into an active participant.

Die organische und kristalline Beschreibung consists of a beam of yellow light shone through fluted glass onto a convex mirror, in a room within which the windows are covered with blue filters. This device, based on a special effect used in theatre, floods the entire room in watery light, and creates an optical illusion that completely distorts the visitor's perception of space and colors. She/he becomes acutely conscious of the act of perception itself. This consciousness is further triggered by the sight of the machinery responsible for the effects, which Eliasson makes no attempt to conceal. The viewer is as much a part of the work as the apparatus Eliasson employs and the site it occupies.