Climate Conscious

For his 2015 work Ice Watch, shown above and on the cover, Eliasson collected 12 blocks of ice that broke off Greenland’s ice sheet, a body of ice covering more than 660,000 square miles. He worked with a geologist to transport the ice to Paris. Then Eliasson arranged the large-scale blocks of ice in a circle in the Place du Panthéon, a popular public square, during a United Nations meeting about climate change.

The clock-like arrangement symbolizes the countdown toward the effects of rising temperatures and sea levels. Viewers experience Ice Watch with their senses. They see firsthand how fast glaciers melt, they hear the cracking sounds of ice melting, and they feel the cold. Eliasson believes art “can be more effective than just reading an explanation of something or looking at charts, graphs, and data.” Through this tangible artwork, he hopes viewers will develop an emotional response to the impacts of climate change and feel inspired to take action.

Eliasson’s 2015 Ice Watch installation is shown above and on the cover. For this work, he collected blocks of ice that broke off the Greenland ice sheet. This body of ice covers more than 660,000 square miles near Earth’s north pole, but rising temperatures are melting it. Eliasson worked with a geologist to move the blocks of ice to Paris. Then he arranged them in a public square.

Eliasson placed the ice in a circle, like numbers on a clock. He communicates that time is running out to find solutions to climate change. Viewers experience Ice Watch with all their senses. They feel the cold and hear cracking sounds as the ice melts. The artist hopes that when people experience this work, they are inspired to take action.

Eliasson draws attention to the sun’s power in his 2003 installation at the Tate Modern in London, above. The Weather Project is an exploration of the sun’s intense light. Eliasson installed it inside a massive five-story-tall space at the museum. He mounted a semicircular screen—backlit by approximately 200 lights—on a wall. He suspended reflective foil from the ceiling, creating a giant mirror. It seemingly doubles the room’s size and turns the lit semicircle into a radiating sphere. A machine diffuses mist into the space, adding drama.

The warm light produces the illusion that viewers are near the sun. However, Eliasson creates a disconnection in the senses. The temperature in the room doesn’t mimic the light’s warmth. Eliasson makes art that refers to nature while appealing to emotion, the imagination, and the senses. What message does Eliasson communicate in the works on these pages?

Eliasson installed the work above at the Tate Modern museum in London in 2003. Called The Weather Project, it explores the sun’s intense light. Eliasson mounted a semicircular screen on a wall and placed about 200 lights behind it. He hung foil from the ceiling to reflect the light. The foil acts like a giant mirror, making the room look twice as big. It reflects the lit semicircle, creating a shining sphere.

The warm light is orange, yellow, and red. It creates the illusion that viewers are near the sun. But the room’s temperature is cool, confusing viewers’ senses.

Eliasson encourages people to connect with nature. How does The Weather Project compare with his other art shown on these pages?