Olafur Eliasson returns to Tate Modern with Olafur Eliasson: In real life. This is the Danish-Icelandic artist’s first major UK exhibition and survey of his career to date. It comes 16 years after 2003’s The weather project, his world-renown piece which transformed the museum’s Turbine Hall “into a social space where sculpture was bound up with the experience of being together with other visitors.”
The show consists of over 40 works including immersive installations, sculpture, photography and paintings — on Level 2 of the Blavatnik Building, but also at the Terrace Bar and in the Turbine Hall, along with a waterfall outside on the South Terrace. AM especially recommends walking through Din blinde passager (Your blind passenger), a beautiful and sometimes unsettling fog corridor.
Olafur Eliasson: In real life opens on 11 July and continues until 5 January 2020.
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‘Ventilator’, 1997, Fan, wire, cable, Dimensions variable
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/3_DSC07504_P.Nguyen.jpg)
‘Model room’, 2003, Wood table with steel legs, mixed media models, maquettes, Dimensions variable
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/4_DSC07511_P.Nguyen.jpg)
‘Moss wall’, 1994, Reindeer moss, wood, wire, 20 x 5 metres
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‘Moss wall’ (background); and ‘Wavemachines’, 1995, Acrylic, transparent plastic sheet, water, ink (yellow), motors, transformer, 1.3 x 21.2 x 90 metres
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/6_DSC07523_P.Nguyen.jpg)
‘The seeing space’, 2015, Glass, 64 x 64 x 64 cm
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‘No nights in summer, no days in winter’, 1994, Steel, propane, 68 x 89 x 86 cm
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/8_DSC07564_P.Nguyen.jpg)
‘Beauty’, 1993, Spotlight, water, nozzles, wood, hose, pump, Dimensions variable
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/9_DSC07567_P.Nguyen.jpg)
‘Din blinde passager’ (Your blind passenger), 2010, Fluorescent lamps, monofrequency lamps (yellow), fog machines, air circulation system, wood, aluminium, steel, fabric, plastic sheet, Dimensions variable
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/10_DSC07940_P.Nguyen.jpg)
‘Din blinde passager’ (Your blind passenger)
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/11_DSC07611_P.Nguyen.jpg)
‘In real life’, 2019, Aluminium, colour-effect filter glass (green, yellow, orange), 208 x 208 x 208 cm
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/12_DSC07961_P.Nguyen.jpg)
‘Your spiral view’, 2002, Stainless steel mirror, steel, 32 x 32 x 8 metres [Disorienting walk-through installation, multiple sharp edges — What could possibly go wrong?]
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/13_DSC07614_P.Nguyen.jpg)
‘Eine Beschreibung einer Reflexion, oder aber eine angenehme Übung zu deren Eigenschaften’ (A description of a reflection or, a pleasant exercise on its qualities), 1995, Spotlight, mirrors, projection screen, motor, tripod, Dimensions variable
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/14_DSC07630_P.Nguyen.jpg)
‘Your uncertain shadow (colour)’, 2010, HMI lamps (green, orange, blue, magenta), glass, aluminium, transformers, Dimensions variable
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/15_DSC07655_P.Nguyen.jpg)
‘Big bang fountain’, 2014, Water, strobe light, pump, nozzle, stainless steel, wood, foam, plastic, control unit, dye, 16.5 x 16 x 16 metres
![](https://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/16_DSC07889_P.Nguyen.jpg)
Olafur Eliasson, wearing a ‘Little Sun’ lamp
Photo credit and text: Patrick Nguyen.