Review of 'In Real Life' (Olafur Eliasson)

Olafur Eliasson’s ‘In Real Life’ opened at the Tate Modern on the 11th of July 2019 and runs until the 5th of January 2020. The exhibition brings together more than 40 works from throughout Eliasson’s life and utilises a range of media including spotlights, moss and fog. ‘In Real Life’ aims to help the viewer become more aware of their senses and create their own meaning in his pieces. His works also explore his interests such as concern for nature and study of geometry.

His artwork is designed to engage all the viewer’s senses, not just sight, and the exhibition reflects this. One of the most immersive experiences at the exhibiton is ‘Din blinde passager’ (‘Your blind passenger’), created in 2010. The work consists of a 39m long corridor illuminated and filled with fog and was one of my favourite pieces of the exhibition. You can only see 1.5m ahead of you which Eliasson uses to demonstrate our ability as h

umans to navigate and our trust in art as a safe space.

The work of Eliasson is also highly perceptive to the individual. ‘Beauty’ (1993) is made using a water spraying device and a spotlight; this creates a rainbow on the falling water. I believe this piece is extremely effective as the colours contort with the drizzling water, allowing the two to move in harmony. Eliasson says the piece is ‘highly individual’ but also ‘reperesents collectivity’ as, depending where you stand in the room, each person will get a different rainbow.

In addition, many of his pieces allow the viewer to create their own art, for example ‘Your uncertain shadow’ (2010) which is undoubtably the most well known piece in the exhibiton. Five coloured spotlights are positioned on the floor facing a white wall, as you walk in front of it, your shadow is projected several times in an array of colours. The work is one of the more fun elements of the exhibiton as when I was there, everyone in the room (of all ages) was intrigued and experimenting for themselves with their own shadow.

Another piece which I really enjoyed was not even in the main exhibitons space. Situated near the lifts was ‘Room for one colour’ (1997) where large numbers of monofrequency lamps were attached to the ceiling, bathing the room in a yellow glow. This reduced our ‘spectral range’ to yellow and black only as well as leaving a blue tint on the viewers eyesight after they have left the area. I particularly liked this piece as it was unique to anything I’d seen before and allowed me to look around the same area but see it differently.

Overall I would definately recommend visiting ‘In Real Life’. It is an immersive experience like no other and allows you to percieve reality in another way even once you’ve left the exhibit.