January 01, 2004

The Weather Project

Posted by Chris

We don’t often have photographs on Crooked Timber, but I though it worth making an exception in this case. I spent the afternoon at London’s Tate Modern where an installation by Olafur Eliasson entitles The Weather Project currently dominates the Turbine Hall through which one enters the gallery. The “sun” bathes everyone in yellow light, figures are reflected in mirrors on the ceiling and steam jets create an atmosphere of shimmering mystery appropriate for an operatic stage set. It is as if we are in the dying days of an aged planet. Go and see it if you can.


sun.jpg

Posted on January 1, 2004 09:57 PM UTC
Comments

“It is as if we are in the dying days of an aged planet.”

sounds familiar…

Posted by Icy Hot Stunta · January 2, 2004 05:20 AM

I wasn’t impressed by the Tate sun. From the ground level, where I first caught a glimpse, it appeared washed out and artificial.

I found it sort of creepy all those people lying on the concrete floor beneath the sun for long periods of time and staring at their images in the mirrors on the ceiling. I started imagining that this was some post-nuclear-holocaust underground cavern, the world above-ground rendered uninhabitable. The people miss the sun (and, in fact, have kind of forgotten what it looks like), so they construct this pale copy to worship. Then I started thinking of Plato’s cave — pale image on a wall of the real thing, but people loving it because they don’t know any better.

Then I realized that you guys in Britian haven’t got a real sun to speak of. So I should be more understanding of your strange worship of the electric sun in the Tate.

Posted by Michael Otsuka · January 2, 2004 10:05 AM

about timber

Posted by ankit · January 24, 2004 03:48 PM
Followups

→ Two tidbits.
Excerpt: Chuck points to Brian Greene's fascinating essay on time in this morning's Times. And the Crooked Timber folks have a...Read more at The Salt-Box
→ The Weather Project.
Excerpt: All of a sudden, everybody's reminding me of the best thing I saw in London on my second trip there this year (the Thanksgiving rendition): The Weather Project, an installation in the main entry salon (the Turbine Hall) of the Tate Modern. It's an asto...Read more at Planned Obsolescence

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.