james turrell | art installation and exhibition news and projects https://www.designboom.com/tag/james-turrell/ designboom magazine | your first source for architecture, design & art news Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:15:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 james turrell unveils plans for colossal ‘cosmic observatories’ land art in AlUla’s ancient desert https://www.designboom.com/art/james-turrell-unveils-plans-colossal-cosmic-observatories-land-art-alula-ancient-desert-01-21-2025/ Tue, 21 Jan 2025 11:33:10 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=1111761 outdoor subterranean oculi, called skyspaces, will frame the shifting hues of the sky to reveal phenomena rarely visible to the naked eye.

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‘wadi alfann presents james turrell’ kicks off alula arts festival

 

James Turrell brings his sensorial artworks to the historic old town of AlUla, Saudi Arabia, for the ‘Wadi AlFann presents James Turrell’ exhibition. A prelude to his Land Art commission for Wadi AlFann (an open-air museum, the ‘Valley of the Arts’), the exhibition charts his legacy as a pioneering Light and Space artist and reveals a first glimpse at his upcoming colossal installation in the desert expanse. The untitled work is set to be constructed within the next four years and builds upon his ongoing explorations into the phenomena of color, space, and perception while using AlUla’s dramatic natural landscape and its purity of light as muse. Beyond creating an ethereal space to stage optical, cosmic encounters, it will also function as a permanent museum showcasing many of Turrell’s significant works.

 

A sequence of vast pathways, tunnels, chambers, and staircases will be carved into the canyon floor. As visitors navigate through, under, and out of the earth, and between lightness and darkness, they traverse a sensorial, singular experience of the land and the sky. Wadi AlFann’s Lead Curator Iwona Blazwick notes that the outdoor subterranean oculi, called Skyspaces, will be ‘cosmic observatories’ that dissolve horizons and challenge perceptions of celestial light. These circular spaces frame the shifting hues of the sky above as Turrell manipulates the context of vision while descending further leads into the Sun/Moon Chamber where the earth and cosmos are connected via what Turrell calls a ‘lensless telescope’. Above ground, the site expands into a planetary diagram etched into the earth, surrounded by sandstone mountains and crowned by an obelisk marking the sun’s passage like a sundial. The spaces present a surreal experience of Turrell’s philosophy of the ‘thingness of light’, examining the very nature of seeing where light itself becomes the revelation. Alongside revealing plans for the land art, the exhibition showcases some of Turrell’s most influential light sculptures to kick off the AlUla Arts Festival which runs from January 16 to February 22. ‘Wadi AlFann presents James Turrell’ will remain on view at AlJadidah Arts District until April 19.

james turrell unveils plans for colossal 'cosmic observatories' land art in AlUla's ancient desert
all images © James Turrell, courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla

 

 

inside the upcoming colossal land art

 

James Turrell’s land art for Wadi AlFann builds upon his ongoing work at Roden Crater, where for the last five decades he has been reshaping an extinct volcano in the desert of Northern Arizona with light. This manifestation in AlUla of the same methodologies he has been continuing to develop will reactivate the desert wilderness as an immersive ‘naked-eye observatory’ of light and space, inviting visitors to journey deep into the earth. ‘The work envisioned for Wadi AlFann will have two large Skyspaces and two small Skyspaces, that each addresses different aspects of sky. All of my Skyspaces engage the natural light of the area. The light quality in AlUla is of dry desert air with little moisture, which yields a light in the sky that is crisp and clear,’ says the American artist. These cosmic observatories, as Michael Goven of LACMA, the exhibition’s Guest Curator, shares, are apertures in the ceiling that allow us to measure the movement of the sky and earth in time with our eyes.

 

Visitors will navigate hundreds of meters of tunnels carved into the mountain, culminating in a series of celestial experiences that forge optical and physical connections with astronomical time. One such feature is the obelisk surrounded by a constellation map which ‘lays out the stars and celestial bodies above us, showing their exact positions in orbit using LEDs that highlight their paths,’ the curatorial team tells designboom as we explore the exhibition. The journey leads to a central plaza and Skyspaces that use only natural light to reveal phenomena rarely visible to the naked eye. During the winter solstice, for instance, the path of sunlight is projected in the sunroom chamber. ‘Across the white marble, you’ll be able to see the spots and flares of the real sun above us that we can’t usually see, as well as the craters and dark spots of the moon. The artist is trying to connect us to these celestial bodies, bringing them into our lived-in space,’ they continue. The experience also features two underground chambers offering contrasting experiences of boundlessness. The Ganzfeld chamber immerses visitors in pure, colored light that dissolves walls and creates a dimensionless void. In contrast, the Wedgework chamber uses precise planes of light to create luminous forms that layer over one another, producing a dreamlike interplay between solidity and dissolution, evoking what Turrell describes as ‘a light that looks like the light you see in your dream.’

james turrell unveils plans for colossal 'cosmic observatories' land art in AlUla's ancient desert
James Turrell unveils renders for his upcoming land art installation in Wadi AlFann

 

 

a survey of turrell’s mastery of light, color, and perception

 

Alongside presenting renders and a short film where James Turrell outlines his plans for the land art in Wadi AlFann, the exhibition gathers some of Turrell’s earliest light works alongside some of his most recent creations. The exhibition surveys the American artist’s mastery of holding and directing light — both artificial and celestial — as a medium for shaping sensory experiences. Immersing visitors in what Turrell describes as ‘the wordless thought that comes from looking at a fire,’ each work is then a meditation on the nature of perception. His cross-corner projection work Alta, an ethereal pyramid of light first created in 1968, sculpts a translucent volume into darkness with the immaterial element. As we move from one of its edges to the other appears to slightly rotate, its luminous pink-violet planes appear almost solid in this illusion.

 

His Jubilee installation pulses an intricately intense composition of color and light. Hypnotic discs of light seem to shift imperceptibly and emerge from another dimension, carrying viewers seamlessly from dazzling crimson to icy blue hues. As Guest Curator Michael Govan explains, the vibrant reds and blues we observe are not solely present in the light projected but are partially constructed in our minds. When our eyes encounter a vivid red and it disappears, the complementary afterimage of green overlays the subsequent hues, creating entirely new colors in our perception. Turrell reminds us that even the sky’s color is not fixed or given to us — it is ‘awarded’ through our context of vision. This interplay between light and perception mirrors the oculus Turrell plans to install in Wadi AlFann, a sphere that, like Jubilee, feels like a portal to an alternate reality. He builds on this optical illusion in a small, framed canvas with his Hologram series, where a slender shard of light appears to float, uncontained in the picture plane in juxtaposition.

james turrell unveils plans for colossal 'cosmic observatories' land art in AlUla's ancient desert
the subterranean oculi — Skyspaces — are ‘cosmic observatories’ that frame the shifting hues of the sky above

james turrell unveils plans for colossal 'cosmic observatories' land art in AlUla's ancient desert
the untitled work builds upon Turrell’s ongoing investigations into the phenomena of color, space, and perception

james turrell unveils plans for colossal 'cosmic observatories' land art in AlUla's ancient desert
a sequence of vast pathways, tunnels, chambers, and staircases will be carved into the canyon floor

james turrell unveils plans for colossal 'cosmic observatories' land art in AlUla's ancient desert
envisioned as a portal to an alternate reality through light

james-turrell-wadi-alfann-alula-land-art-designboom-01

james turrell unveils plans for colossal 'cosmic observatories' land art in AlUla's ancient desert
the exhibition kicks off the AlUla Arts Festival

james turrell unveils plans for colossal 'cosmic observatories' land art in AlUla's ancient desert
Alta, an ethereal pyramid of light first created in 1968, sculpts a translucent pink volume into darkness with light


an optical illusion in a small, framed canvas where a slender shard of light appears to float

james-turrell-wadi-alfann-alula-land-art-designboom-02

Jubilee pulses an intricately intense composition of color and light


hypnotic discs of light seem to shift imperceptibly and emerge from another dimension

james turrell unveils plans for colossal 'cosmic observatories' land art in AlUla's ancient desert
as Govan explains, the vibrant reds and blues we observe are not solely present in the light projected


the vivid, shifting hues are partially constructed in our minds, as Turrell manipulates the light


this artwork mirrors the oculus Turrell plans to install in Wadi AlFann

 

 

project info:

 

name: Land Art commission for Wadi AlFann

artist: James Turrell 

location: AlUla, Saudi Arabia

 

program: AlUla Arts Festival | @artsalula

dates: January 16 – February 22, 2025

exhibition: Wadi AlFann presents James Turrell

dates: January 16 – April 19, 2025

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herzog & de meuron’s helvetia campus basel expansion features two james turrell lightworks https://www.designboom.com/architecture/herzog-de-meuron-helvetia-campus-basel-expansion-two-james-turrell-lightworks-06-07-2024/ Fri, 07 Jun 2024 10:50:03 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=1070228 helvetia's program features a blend of offices, gathering places, and amenities for all basel-based employees, as well as a public program enlivened by two james turrell lighting commissions.

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helvetia campus basel expansion unfolds in four stages

 

Herzog & de Meuron is establishing a new identity for Helvetia in central Basel, between Aeschenplatz and the historic St. Alban quarter. Completed in four stages, the 419 project includes three new buildings and three renovated ones, forming a distinctive campus with an understated and predominantly white architecture at the scale of the city block; at a larger scale, two towers – one renovated, one new – create a clear identity amongst the mainly low-rise surroundings. Helvetia’s program features a blend of working space, gathering places, and amenities for all Basel-based employees, while the public gets to enjoy a café, Art Foyer, auditorium, and the B1 Rooftop Bistro, which first opened on April 5, 2024, alongside two light installations by American artist James Turrell, visible from miles away. 


Helvetia Campus Basel | image © Maris Mezulis

 

 

herzog & de meuron uplifts the existing 1950s-1970s designs

 

The Helvetia Basel headquarters have evolved since the 1950s, requiring renovations to address increased density and undefined borders. Recent campus updates by Herzog & de Meuron (see more here) include the removal of some inner courtyard structures to create space for a public park designed by Vogt Landscape Architects. The site now concentrates office functions in the southern block and relocates residential use to the north, opposite the campus on St. Alban-Anlage. The masterplan, implemented in four stages, emphasizes integrating and reusing existing buildings: the renovation and vertical expansion of the 1950s office tower, complemented by a new twin tower and central auditorium, plus a new public park; the renovation and addition to the 1960s administrative building; the renovation and addition to the 1970s administrative building; and last, the deconstruction of the northern administration building and construction of new apartments.


image © Maris Mezulis

 

 

The existing office tower was the first building that Patria Insurance (as it then was) built on the St. Alban site in the 1950s. With its extensive conversion and the construction of an adjacent tower, Herzog & de Meuron created a new ensemble, giving the cityscape an instantly recognizable silhouette. With their all-round terraces and cantilevered roof cornices, the top floors are reminiscent of the architectural language of the 1950s. Meanwhile, a new auditorium serves as an open, connective interior plaza with a curved roof and natural stone paving that extends outdoors; its transparent facade contrasts with the towers’ glass facades, incorporating traditional Venetian cast glass tiles. A central staircase and spiral outdoor one connect the auditorium to the green space.

 

Designed with bird protection measures, the east and west elevations feature a closed cavity facade for maximum light gain, using prefabricated elements for quick installation and allowing independent sunshade control. The north and south facades boast large diamond-shaped windows, influenced by diagonal staircases, and are clad with triangular cast-glass tiles arranged randomly by computer for a dynamic appearance.


image © Maris Mezulis

 

 

a sustainable and public program at the helvetia campus basel

 

The Helvetia Campus Basel follows sustainable urban planning, integrating most existing structures and emphasizing easy deconstruction and reuse. It meets DGNB and SGNI Platinum certification standards, with large photovoltaic systems on the roofs providing significant electricity. Completing the masterplan is a new 3,500 m² public park, introducing biodiversity and a microclimate that reflects the campus’s transparent, inviting architecture.

 

The opening of the campus to the public, reflected in the transparent, inviting architecture, extends from the spacious shaded park to the Helvetia Art Foyer, a public art exhibition space on the ground floor of the renovated tower, and the auditorium, to the roof of the existing tower, where the publicly accessible rooftop café invites visitors to linger. Like a ‘window’ to the city, the Helvetia Art Foyer offers a highly visible, public platform to artists and works both from the collection as well as to new acquisitions. A large video wall is installed within the main auditorium entrance, displaying video art from the extensive Helvetia collection. Further artworks are on rotating display on all 21 office floors.


image © Maris Mezulis

 

 

two expansive light installaitions by james turrell

 

The Helvetia campus art program also spotlights two site-specific installations by renowned artist James Turrell. Diamond Glass (2023), a light installation within the entrance lobby of the existing tower, welcomes visitors to the Helvetia Art Foyer and newly-opened rooftop bistro and directly references the building’s facade. In the evening, the larger-scale light installation Night Raiment (2024) illuminates the overhanging eaves of the two towers, creating a dialogue between the campus and the city beyond.

 

The public B1 Rooftop Bistro in the western tower serves as a meeting place for the Gellert district and a club with a unique ambiance, accommodating up to 100 people. The western of the two campus towers has long been a prominent feature of the Gellert district. James Turrell has selected the roof cornices of the 1950s office tower as a virtual canvas for his latest work, Night Raiment (2024). Known for his skyspaces and light installations, the artist has designed a lighting concept that integrates into the architecture of the Helvetia campus. The B1 Rooftop Bistro bathes in atmospheric light, with striking effects that change color almost imperceptibly.

 

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image © Maris Mezulis

 

Turrell combines 20,000 individual LEDs that reflect from the underside of the roof and glass facade, blending with light from the interior and allowing colors and spaces to merge. With its 360-degree perspective, the installation transforms the two towers into gleaming light-houses for Basel. Clad with around 24,000 hand-cast glass tiles, their facades add dimension to the light show. Access to the B1 Rooftop Bistro in the western tower is via a separate entrance and an express lift. Visitors are welcomed to the entrance hall by Diamond Glass, an installation also specially conceived by James Turrell. A special feature of this work is the diamond motif, which can also be found in Herzog & de Meuron’s facades and numerous other architectonic details.


image © Maris Mezulis

 

 

The guest area, also designed by Herzog & de Meuron, is both cozy and sophisticated. The interplay of reflections and dark accents, combined with vibrant splashes of color and the overwhelming 360-degree view over the roofs of the city of Basel, promises a unique spatial experience. The B1 Rooftop Bistro is not only a meeting place for the Gellert district and the companies that surround it but also a club with a lively atmosphere. To combine these two gastronomic worlds, the new Bistro offers a diverse selection of meals and snacks and a modern drinks menu. Whether for morning coffee, lunch, or a cheerful afternoon on the terrace, the B1 Rooftop Bistro suits all tastes. For those who want a relaxed end to their day, this latest newcomer to Basel’s catering scene offers the perfect venue – high above the city’s rooftops. The installation is on display at dawn and evening, from dusk until the Bistro closes. 


image © Maris Mezulis

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image © Remo Stalder, Helvetia


image © Remo Stalder, Helvetia


image © Remo Stalder, Helvetia

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image © Remo Stalder, Helvetia

 

project info:

 

name: Helvetia Campus Basel | @helvetia.schweiz

location: Basel, Switzerland 

architect: Herzog & de Meuron@herzogdemeuron

light installation: James Turrell

client representative: Helvetia Versicherungen, Kai Wiborny

project number: 419

project period: 2013 – 2024 

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james turrell’s grandest skyspace takes center stage in danica o. kus’ photography https://www.designboom.com/art/james-turrell-grandest-skyspace-danica-o-kus-photography-within-without-05-09-2024/ Thu, 09 May 2024 10:30:42 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=1063440 danica o. kus captures turrell's largest and most complex work to date, situated within the garden of the national gallery of australia.

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Danica O. Kus captures James Turrell’s Skyspace in canberra

 

The latest photographic project by Danica O. Kus delves into James Turrell’s Within Without skyspace, situated within the Australian Garden of the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. The artwork represents Turrell’s largest and most complex work to date, and seeks to provide an intricate viewing chamber that redefines how we perceive the sky. Through Kus’s lens, viewers are invited on a captivating journey through the interplay of light, materials, and spatial dynamics within this iconic structure. 


inside Within Without by James Turrell | all images courtesy of Danica O. Kus

 

 

an immersive exploration of ‘within without’

 

Through her lens, Danica O. Kus (find more here) invites viewers on an immersive journey through James Turrell’s Within Without, guiding them from entrance to exit. Entering through a long, sloping walkway, visitors encounter a striking square-based pyramid with soft red ochre walls. At its heart stands a stupa crafted from Victorian basalt, accented by a pool of turquoise water. Within the stupa lies the viewing chamber, a simple yet profound dome open to the sky, with a moonstone at its center mirroring the oculus above. Inside the skyspace, light takes on a painterly quality, heightening senses and amplifying both movement and sound, while the sky dances with shimmering hues, most notably at dawn and dusk, marking the delicate transition between night and day. Turrell’s creation urges us to pause and appreciate the subtle intricacies of the natural world, revealing the profound beauty of celestial architecture.

 

‘My work is about space and the light that inhabits it. It is about how you confront that space and plumb it with vision. It is about your seeing, like the wordless thought that comes from looking into fire,’ says James Turrell (find more here). 


the stupa is crafted from Victorian basalt


soft red ochre walls complete Turrell’s largest skyspace to date


inside the skyspace, light takes on a painterly quality


the viewing chamber takes shape as a simple yet profound dome open to the sky

james-turrells-within-without-danica-o-kus-designboom-full-01

viewers are invited on a captivating journey through the interplay of light, materials, and spatial dynamics


the stupa is accented by a pool of turquoise water


Danica O. Kus captures the blend of textures and materials within the skyspace


‘my work is about space and the light that inhabits it,’ says James Turrell


entrance is made through a long, sloping walkway

james-turrells-within-without-danica-o-kus-designboom-full-02

the lowered walkway brings visitors eye’s to the same height as the water surface


inside the walkway

 

 

project info: 

 

name: Within Without
artist: James Turrell | @jamesturell
location: National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, Australia 
photography: Danica O. Kus | @danica_o_kus_photography

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colossal installations at AlUla’s arts valley: from ahmed mater to james turrell + agnes denes https://www.designboom.com/architecture/five-permanent-site-specific-installations-at-alula-wadi-alfann-saudi-arabia-12-12-2022/ Mon, 12 Dec 2022 11:30:07 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=950367 spanning approximately 65 sq km, the contemporary artworks will create a dialogue with nature, honoring the human creativity linking different cultures and communities.

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ALULA’S WADI ALFANN — a VALLEY OF THE ARTS in Saudi Arabia

 

Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla has revealed five initial permanent installations that will be completed by 2024 for AlUla’s ‘Wadi AlFann’ —or ‘Valley of the Arts’. Spanning approximately 65 sq km across its untamed landscape, the spectacular desert valley will host large-scale site-specific artworks by American artists James Turrell, Agnes Denes, and Michael Heizer, as well as Saudi names Ahmed Mater and Manal AlDowayan. These five outstanding pieces will mark the start of a continued program of commissions, with more artists and activities to be announced.

 

Juxtaposed with the exceptional geography steeped in thousands of years of natural, historical, and cultural heritage, the contemporary artworks will create a dialogue with nature, honoring the human creativity that links different cultures and communities across the world.

renders of Ashab Al-Lal by Ahmed Mater at Wadi AlFann. Visualization by Atelier Monolit. ©ATHR Gallery

 

 

Ashab Al-Lal by Ahmed Mater coexists in harmony with nature

 

Wadi AlFann’s epic scale commissions by pioneer Land Art artists James Turrell (see more here), Agnes Denes (more here), Michael Heizer, Ahmed Mater (here), and Manal AlDowayan (here) will be materialized in harmony with the Royal Commission for AlUla’s commitment to the natural heritage and biodiversity of this millennia-old location.

 

For AlUla’s Wadi AlFann, Ahmed Mater, one of Saudi Arabia’s most influential contemporary artists, introduces his colossal ‘Ashab Al-Lal’, which will explore the mythic space through subterranean elements and mirrors. The physician-turned-artist challenges the idea of the landmark as a symbol of status and authority, viewing it instead as a place for the transmission of knowledge. Creating a spiritual, transcendental experience for the viewer, Mater has drawn from great scientific and philosophical thinkers of the Islamic Golden Age.

 

Set against the breathtaking sandstone cliffs and canyons of the vast terrain, the pieces celebrate the landscape of AlUla and respect the archaeological relics and colossal history. Drawing from its scenic topography, undulating panoramas, and distinctive geological structures, the schemes present an oasis of narratives inviting local communities, art lovers, adventurers, and globetrotters to explore and discover. The site’s pavilions, walkways, and belvederes will use locally sourced materials and be positioned to facilitate the free movement of camel herds and other native species. 

 

 

Five era-defining artworks across the valley

 

Known for his site-specific oeuvres, utilizing land and light as the main mediums, James Turrell will create a sensorial experience of light, color, and perception, generating a sequence of spaces within the canyon floor. Wandering through these stunning passages, the viewers will experience the nature of light and seeing, as well as elements of sky and terrain. For AlUla’s Wadi AlFann,  Agnes Denes will continue her ongoing series of monumental pyramids. Her new oeuvre will awaken the silent canyons they sit within, depicting the past, present, and future of humankind. This artwork examines civilization, progress, and achievement, proposing a breathtaking environment.

 

‘Wadi AlFann is unprecedented in its ambition, a world-leading platform enabling remarkable artists to create the most significant works of their lifetimes. It will set a new global example for experiencing art in dialogue with nature, celebrating the human creativity that unites communities across the world and inspiring current and future generations of artists. A display of such epic scale, set in a terrain as monumental as the AlUla desert, has the potential to shape the course of art history in real time,’ mentioned Iwona Blazwick, Chair of Royal Commission for AlUla’s Public Art Expert Panel.

 

 

Known for his large outdoor earthwork sculptures that use rock, concrete, and steel as a medium, Michael Heizer

introduces new incised engravings in the sandstone rock. Through tunnels and stairs, the American artist seeks a profound connection with the topography while accentuating the intricate beauty of the Quweira rock. Viewable from a far distance, most of these large-size works will change in appearance as viewers move around the area. Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan’s oeuvre brings themes of invisibility, collective memory, and the status and representation of women to the fore. Dubbed ‘The Oasis of Stories’, her labyrinthine installation draws from the mud walls of AlUla’s Old Town, inviting viewers to meander through the maze-like passages and get lost in an architectonic sculpture that imitates the ancient spaces of Arabic settlements. 

 

‘Wadi AlFann will rekindle the creativity of AlUla and deliver new transformative experiences for locals and visitors alike. As custodians of this land, a crossroad between East and West marked by 200,000 years of natural, human and cultural history, we must continue to harness the unique legacy of AlUla to build its future. It is an honour to be working with such esteemed and celebrated artists to aide our ambitions to further establish AlUla as a world-leading centre for art and culture. This visionary destination will build a vibrant and prosperous local cultural economy, forging pathways for the people of AlUla to unlock creative potential and be architects of the region’s future,’ said Nora Aldabal, Executive Director of Arts and Creative Industries, Royal Commission for
AlUla.

 

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Wadi AlFann is one of the various new creative landmarks planned for AlUla as part of its Journey Through Time masterplan, along with the Perspectives Galleries, the Arts District, and the Water Pavilions. The Journey Through Time masterplan, unveiled by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, will see 15 new destinations for culture, heritage, and creativity open by 2035.

 

This is not the first time the deer of AlUla has seen artistic interventions. For the past years, the Desert X AlUla exhibition has been taking place there. Its first edition (read more on designboom here) welcomed 9,000 visitors, while the second one (read more on designboom here) grew to 24,000 visitors.

sketches for The Oasis of Stories by Manal AlDowayan, for Wadi AlFann

 

 

project info:

 

name: Wadi AlFann

artists: Manal AlDowayan, Agnes Denes, Michael Heizer, Ahmed Mater and James Turrell

location: AlUla desert, Saudi Arabia 

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hardanger skyspace by james turrell and a-works exposes endless lightscapes in norway https://www.designboom.com/architecture/hardanger-skyspace-james-turrell-a-works-endless-lightscapes-norway-11-24-2022/ Thu, 24 Nov 2022 15:30:56 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=946791 light artist james turrell and a-works architectural office collaborate on skyspace set on the hardangervidda mountain plateau.

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Skyspace by James Turrell and a-works in Hardangervidda

 

Light artist James Turrell and Bergen-based a-works office, practicing in art and architecture, collaborate on the ‘Hardanger Skyspace’ project, commissioned by the contemporary art center Kunsthuset Kabuso. The work is situated in a public park on the shores of the vast Hardanger fjord facing the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, the largest of its kind in Europe. The monolithic structure sits firmly in the landscape, composed of a series of custom prefabricated concrete elements. Its color recalls the local slate and its stepped texture reminisces the wood siding of houses and the nearby church. Evoking the character of the many sacred spaces before it, the volume is formed by stacking stones atop stones. The Skyspace simultaneously relates to its immediate landscape yet stands independent from it. The illuminated chamber is oriented in relation to the cosmic elements and forces beyond, specifically, the movement of the earth, sun, and moon.


all images provided by a-works

 

 

endless array of hues exposed in lit and fluid elliptical interior

 

Designed by the American artist James Turrell, the Skyspace’s stacked construction towers seven meters above the ground, shifting the spatial perception, with the actual height becoming apparent only up close when compared to the human scale. The straight-edged octagonal exterior gives way to a fluid elliptical interior that, once lit up, transforms into an endless space filled with color, as if solid. A perimetrical concrete bench surrounds a smooth and slightly curved concrete floor. The chamber’s body is shaped unanimously in one material. The elliptical oculus exposes the sky, which is no longer perceived as a set color, but an endless array of hues at the disposition of the ever-changing interior. ‘Solid mass melts into thin air and the intangible matter suddenly gains physical presence’, shares the Bergen-based studio.


massive solid stones stacked to shape the skyspace


smooth light hues gain physical presence inviting the visitors inside


solid mass absorbs the skyspace’s ever-changing colors | image by Elias Dahlen

hardanger-skyspace-designboom-1800-1


the elliptical oculus exposes an endless array of hues


the illuminated chamber is oriented in relation to the sky, the earth, the sun, and the moon

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the monolithic structure relates to its immediate landscape yet stands independent from it

 

 

project info:

 

name: Hardanger Skyspace
design: James Turrell | @jamesturell

architectural support: a-works | @a_works_architecture

commission: Kunsthuset Kabuso

location: Hardangervidda mountain plateau, Norway

 

 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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james turrell & lalique design desert-inspired perfumes & rippling crystal light panels https://www.designboom.com/design/james-turrell-lalique-design-perfumes-crystal-light-panels-10-19-2022/ Wed, 19 Oct 2022 01:01:20 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=937073 james turrell & lalique work on ‘crystal light panels’ and fragrances ‘ranger rider and purple sage’ from the idea of light & space.

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james turrell & lalique share the same light & space

 

American light artist James Turrell, famous for his Skyspaces, and French glassmaker Lalique work on a modern collection of crystal light panels and perfumes which will debut at Paris+ Art Basel on October 20th. Turrell wants to let people see light even when their eyes are closed. Not the kind of beam that artificial light emits, but the one that appears in their dream whether as a supporting character or the main. He is interested in bringing the dreamy light to life: the burst that veers from being another déjà vu phenomenon, the beam that shows itself even when people are awake, and the ray that gains momentum and value over time. ‘We are quite unaware of the power of light. I would like to make light such that it is an inspiration to things beyond, beyond what we think we know,’ he mentions in the interview found inside the ‘Crystal Light’ catalogue by Lalique.

 

The light that Turrell wants to produce, the same one he gives birth to for the collection with Lalique, is all-encompassing: it envelops, it is experienced, it makes viewers think, and it reconfigures their being. The search to manifest such light has come to the fore as Turrell works with Lalique to create Crystal Light Panels, an anthology of photographic works that showcase 30 different color sequences made to trigger a vibrational reaction, and Ranger Rider and Purple Sage, two exclusive fragrances made for the masculine and feminine respectively, inspired by desert ranges and light horizons, and the Great American West depicted by Zane Gray in his novel, Riders of the Purple Sage. ‘The nature of my work is the shaping of light. Light is the material; perception is the medium. There is no image in my work because I am not interested in representation,’ Turrell shares in the catalog interview.

james turrell & lalique design desert-inspired perfumes & rippling crystal light panels
images courtesy of Lalique & James Turrell | photos of the perfumes by Maxime Tetard

 

 

James Turrell finds the scent of the Colorado Plateau

 

James Turrell seeks to uncover the scent of the Colorado Plateau and that of the purple sage that Zane Gray describes in his novel, Riders of the Purple Sage. The American artist then combines the scents to create an evocative fragrance of purple sage and old rubbed leather, ‘the same ones that cling to our chaps when my wife Kyung and I return to our ranch,’ he notes. The result with Lalique grows as Ranger Rider and Purple Sage, a homage to the Gray novel and Turrell’s fragrance for men and women. Now that the scents have been concocted, tweaked, and unveiled, Turrell moves on to the shape of the bottles.

 

‘I created these two fragrances, Range Rider and Purple Sage, to capture the scents of my country. A concentration of skies, horizons and light,’ Turrell shares in the ‘Crystal Light’ interview. ‘Range Rider captures and releases the substantial fragrances of my land: those of animal, sage-scratched leather chaps, pepper, amber and citrus. An olfactory architecture that speaks of the sun-drenched Western ranching. Purple Sage, named after this delicate, queen of plants that blooms exclusively in Arizona, offers a different interpretation of my relationship with the great American West, undulating between delicacy and strength. This is the first time I have designed perfumes and made crystal pieces. Creating a perfume is a bit like creating a world you have known.’

 

The artist has long been fascinated by Egypt and the stupa shapes found in Asia, especially in Tibet, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma, China, and Japan. He marvels at their architectural structure, noting the rigid lines and pointed tip of the pyramids, and observes how light sweep in to play its role as a highly spiritual and valuable character that underlines these architectural wonders. Turrell takes his inspirational cues from this well and comes out with two bottle designs: one shaped like the Egyptian pyramids and the other forming a dome curve. The resulting design ensures the flow and cadence of light, all while allowing a slight coloring to shine through. The artist has been present throughout the production and even stopped by Wingen-sur-Moder, a comune in France, to see the bottles be brought to life, an experience that made him remember René Lalique and how he got started.

james turrell & lalique design desert-inspired perfumes & rippling crystal light panels
Ranger Rider perfume

 

 

Light Panels study the brilliance of crystal

 

The Crystal Light series for Lalique hypnotizes viewers with its light patterns, drawing their gazes into the rounds of beams enveloping the pictorial works. Turrell has used light directly instead of reflecting it on a surface and quotes that several scientific studies have revealed that light has characteristics, including behavioral ones. ‘It knows when we are looking at it,’ he shares.

 

‘In this light panel, specially created for Lalique, the color sequences trigger vibrations. As in my other works, this ripple effect is intended to draw the viewer into an intimacy that is both open and closed, offering a paradigm of life. First of all, light is a substance. It is important to know this because we have no physical perception of it, except on our skin in the form of vitamin D. However, it also has a spiritual dimension, which can be found not only in the Bible but also in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. We also speak of light in the near-death experience, the light at the end of the tunnel, a vision bathed in celestial light.’

 

Like a mentor to his mentee, James Turrell reminds his art enthusiasts about the fluidity of crystal. ‘Of course, this is not evident at room temperature,’ he adds. Holding the glass, one may not immediately realize how beautiful the liquid inside is, focusing rather on the structure of the glass, the way the hand folds around it and the way the bottom slopes so the person could drink up every last drop.‘Liquid crystal can take on a shape and keep that shape,’ Turrell says. ‘But after a hundred or two years, it succumbs to gravity. This is why we have to turn the lenses in telescopes.’

 

The character of crystal comes to the fore from here. It becomes a spiritual medium that possesses underrated brilliance, a material that creatives can toy with. In his Crystal Light Panels, that is how exactly Turrell approached it. He manipulates it so well that viewers have to halt to triple-check whether what they are looking at overlaps or is just a sphere in a single loop. Along with the perfumes, Turrell captures the essence of light and space, the two elements that have long marked his artistic identity.

james-turrell-light-panels-perfumes-designboom-ban

Range Rider perfume

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James Turrell’s Roden Crater in Arizona at sunset ©James Turrell, photo: James Turrell | as featured in Lalique’s Crystal Light Catalogue

james turrell & lalique design desert-inspired perfumes & rippling crystal light panels
Roden Crater, Winter ©James Turrell, photo: James Turrell | as featured in Lalique’s Crystal Light Catalogue

james turrell & lalique design desert-inspired perfumes & rippling crystal light panels
Crystal Light | images ©James Turrell & ©Lalique, photos of Crystal Light by Florian Holzherr


CRYSTAL LIGHT, James Turrell x Lalique, 2022 | Edition of 42 + 2 AP + 5 HC, engraved with the signatures of James Turrell and Lalique | clear crystal, weight: 22,78 kg / 50,2 pounds | dimensions: H.: 466,5 mm / 18.37’’ W.: 388 mm / 15.28’’ D.: 200 mm / 7.87’’


Crystal Light framed

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James Turrell & Lalique’s rippling crystal light panels

project info:

 

name: Crystal Light Panels, Ranger Rider and Purple Sage perfumes

artist: James Turrell

brand: Lalique

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james turrell, agnes denes + michael heizer to exhibit art installations at AlUla’s arts valley https://www.designboom.com/art/alula-wadi-alfann-valley-for-the-arts-saudi-arabia-06-28-2022/ Tue, 28 Jun 2022 10:20:37 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=911466 saudi arabia’s royal commission for AlUla has announced the assignment of saudi and international artists for alula’s wadi alfann.

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ALULA’S WADI ALFANN – SAUDI ARABIA’S VALLEY OF THE ARTS

 

Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla has announced the assignment of Saudi and international artists for AlUla’s Wadi AlFann. Meaning ‘Valley of the Arts’ the ambitious permanent sculpture park planned for the AlUla desert will see pioneer Land Art  American artists James Turrell, Agnes Denes and Michael Heizer, as well as established Saudi names Ahmed Mater and Manal AlDowayan present their pieces in 2024 along the 65-square-kilometer space. 

 

To curate the project, Saudi officials have enlisted Iwona Blazwick, former director of London’s Whitechapel Art Gallery. 


rendering of Ahmed Mater’s work

 

SAUDI ARABIA WANTS TO BE A LEADING GLOBAL DESTINATION FOR THE ARTS

 

‘Wadi AlFann is unprecedented in its ambition,’ Iwona Blazwick said in a released statement. ‘It will set a new global example for experiencing art in dialogue with nature, celebrating the human creativity that unites communities across the world and inspiring current and future generations of artists. A display of such epic scale, set in a terrain as monumental as the AlUla desert, has the potential to shape the course of art history in real time.’

 

AlUla’s Wadi AlFann will offer a profound opportunity to experience art on a monumental scale in dialogue with nature while it continues with Saudi Arabia’s vision of making the region a leading global destination for the arts. Land Art is an artistic style that aims to draw attention to the environment and the importance of preserving it. First seen in the USA in the late 1960s, Land Art seeks not to hold artworks in museums and closed galleries, but instead display them in open museums and galleries located in the heart of nature.


rendering of Manal AlDowayan’s work

 

For AlUla’s Wadi AlFann, James Turrell plans to create more than one piece, including a tunnel and a Skyspace. Known for his large-scale and site-specific artwork that uses land as the medium, Michael Heizer, will create lineal engravings on the sandstone rock, creating a direct relationship with the geology of the area while highlighting the details of the Quweira sandstone. Last but not least, 90-year-old Agnes Denes will carve a series of pyramids into the rocks which will explore civilization, advancement and achievement.

 

Ahmed Mater, one of Saudi Arabia’s most influential contemporary artists, is planning to create a colossal immersive experience with subterranean elements and mirrors. As for Manal al-Dowayan, she will be presenting Oasis of Stories, a piece that will pay tribute to the mud-brick houses found around AlUla’s Old Town.


render of Ahmed Mater’s work

 

This is not the first time the deer of AlUla has seen artistic interventions. For the past years, the Desert X AlUla exhibition has been taking place there. Its first edition (read more on designboom here) welcomed 9,000 visitors, while the second one (read more on designboom here) grew to 24,000 visitors.

 

project info:

 

name: Wadi AlFann

location: AlUla desert, Saudi Arabia 

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james turrell debuts green mountain falls skyspace, a sky observatory with retractable roof https://www.designboom.com/art/james-turrell-light-installation-skyspace-colorado-06-17-2022/ Fri, 17 Jun 2022 10:50:58 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=908802 james turell's permanent installation ‘green mountain falls skyspace’ is part of the green box arts festival in colorado.

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James Turrell debuts Green Mountain Falls Skyspace

 

Light artist James Turrell unveils the permanent installation ‘Green Mountain Falls Skyspace’ at the foothills of Pikes Peak in Colorado as part of the Green Box Arts Festival running from June 18th to July 4th and after having been commissioned by the Historic Green Mountain Falls Foundation. The Green Mountain Falls Skyspace overlooks Gazebo Lake while surrounded by tall pine trees, an extension of the harmonious landscape, preserved in its natural setting. The light-installation experience begins with a short hike that is accessible to all via two new trailheads that deliver hikers directly to the sheltered Skyspace in the hills above.

 

The public artwork towers over the viewers with its 18-feet height and acts as the first Skyspace with a retractable roof, the first of its kind in the mountains, and the only structure with such features in Colorado. In our previous article, it was reported that the construction of the Skyspace had been a feat of engineering that requires all the materials — 1.2 million pounds of concrete and 100,000 pounds of steel — transported up the side of a mountain and that the most recent construction updates then included the fifth concrete pour which required six. Green box co-founder Christian Keesee comments that Green Box invites viewers to slow down, inhale the energizing mountain air, and take in an out-of-this-world permanent installation by James Turrell, ‘one that perfectly responds to humanity’s need for wonder, serenity, and connection.’

james turrell debuts green mountain falls skyspace, a sky observatory with retractable roof
Images from Green Box Art and James Turrell / This photo is by Jeff Kearney, TDC Photography

 

 

Light Installation in Colorado Mountain

 

A James Turrell Skyspace contains a specifically proportioned chamber with an aperture in the ceiling that offers a view of the sky. Through the opening, viewers tilt their heads to soak in the slow-paced movement of the clouds and the sky, placing themselves in the rhythm of time. Skyspaces can be autonomous structures or integrated into existing architecture, and the aperture can be round, ovular, or square. Experiencing the Skyspace encourages a change of perception into what and where the sky is and how it operates, an immersion to identify the depth of one’s relationship with nature. Being inside one of Turrell’s Skyspaces – especially the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace in Colorado – suspends the need to feel fired up, drawn from the excessive internet, work, and day-to-day culture, and carves a nook to find release and wonder while looking inward to check in with self.

 

The Green Mountain Falls Skyspace has a series of specific light shows lined up between five in the morning for the sunrise shows and eight in the evening for the sunset performances. Between 11am and 1pm, Closed-Roof shows will be presented for 20 minutes each. The hike from the center of town in Colorado to the Skyspace ranges between 15 to 30 minutes based on the visitor’s speed, and for those who are unable to hike to the Skyspace and back, a vehicle (ATV) driven by Green Box staff will be made available for transport. Green Box also informs the visitors that the staff will not allow entrance to the Skyspace during Closed Roof shows if they arrive after the lighting sequence has started, but for the sunrise and sunset shows, the door to enter the Skyspace remains open, and visitors are welcome even if they arrive after the show has started.

james turrell debuts green mountain falls skyspace, a sky observatory with retractable roof
James Turrell debuts Green Mountain Falls Skyspace / Image by by David Lauer Photography

 

 

Light Artist James Turrell

 

For over half a century, the American light artist James Turrell has bent, questioned, and toyed with light and space to curate artworks that pull his viewers into the limits and wonder of human perception. Turrell, an avid pilot who has logged over twelve thousand hours flying, considers the sky as his studio, material, and canvas. He says that his work is more about his audience’s seeing than his, even though his installations and works form part of his products. They serve as gifts to humanity, crafted by his mind and creativity. Turrell’s interest also lies in the essence of the presence of space, or the space where people feel a presence that may resemble an entity, and the physical feeling and power the space gives. 

 

Informed by his training in perceptual psychology and a childhood fascination with light, Turrell began experimenting with light as a medium in Southern California in the mid-1960s. The Pasadena Art Museum exhibited his Projection Pieces in 1967 where his one-man show displayed creations of high-intensity projectors and precisely modified spaces. Mendota Stoppages, a series of light works created and exhibited in his Santa Monica studio, paired Projection Pieces with structural cuts in the building, creating apertures open to the light outside. These investigations aligning and mixing interior and exterior laid the groundwork for the open sky spaces found in his later Skyspace, Tunnel, and Crater artworks. Even decades later, Turrell’s medium turns to pure light. He says, ‘My work has no object, no image, and no focus. With no object, no image, and no focus, what are you looking at? You are looking at you looking. What is important to me is to create an experience of wordless thought.’

 

light artist james turrell debuts permanent installation ‘skyspace’ in a colorado mountain
construction phase of the Skyspace

james turrell debuts green mountain falls skyspace, a sky observatory with retractable roof
Overview of one of the shows in James Turrell’s Green Mountain Falls Skyspace

james turrell debuts green mountain falls skyspace, a sky observatory with retractable roof
Image by Savvy Studio / James Turrell’s Skyspace at Culiacan botanical garden (read the full story here)

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Image by David Lauer Photography

 

 

project info:

 

name: Green Mountain Falls Skyspace

artist: James Turrell

festival: Green Box Arts Festival

dates: June 18th  to July 4th, 2022

commission: Historic Green Mountain Falls Foundation

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james turrell curates ad reinhardt exhibition at pace gallery new york https://www.designboom.com/art/james-turrell-ad-reinhardt-pace-gallery-new-york-03-01-2022/ Tue, 01 Mar 2022 19:30:36 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=880214 pace’s flagship space in new york is presenting color out of darkness, an exhibition of works by abstract painter ad reinhardt, curated by james turrell.

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JAMES TURRELL PRESENTS AN HOMAGE TO AD REINHARDT AT PACE NEW YORK

 

pace’s flagship space in new york is presenting color out of darkness, an exhibition of works by abstract painter ad reinhardt, curated by james turrell. the show features reinhardt’s paintings organized under a lighting concept conceived by turrell. 

 

presenting an homage to reinhardt, turrell creates a scenography that takes viewers into the depths of the artist’s abstractions. greatly influenced by reinhardt’s practice, in particular the red, blue white and black paintings, turrell is also presenting a new wedgework installation titled after effect (2021).


installation view, “ad reinhardt: color out of darkness, curated by james turrell,” feb 11 – mar 19, 2022, pace gallery, new york © 2022 estate of ad reinhardt / artists rights society (ars), new york

 

A NEW PIECE BY JAMES TURRELL IS ALSO ON SHOW – AFTER EFFECT 2021

 

the color out of darkness exhibition at pace gallery new york surveys how both artists explore the decentralization of the object in their practices. turrell’s lighting concept for the show foregrounds the experiential nature of reinhardt’s work, with enactments of lightness and darkness that result in new modes of viewing the work.


installation view, “james turrell: after effect,” feb 11 – mar 19, 2022, pace gallery, new york © james turrell

 

‘reinhardt, who is widely considered a forefather of minimalism and conceptualism, began developing his distinct language of abstraction in the 1930s,’ reads the official release. ‘while his early works featured bold amalgams of shapes and forms, the artist went on to create his geometrically minded, monochromatic “red” and “blue” paintings and later his “black” paintings. works from these series figure in pace’s exhibition, with turrell’s lighting concept highlighting the nuances and idiosyncrasies of reinhardt’s abstractions within his monochromatic paintings.’


ad reinhardt, abstract painting, red, 1953 © 2021 estate of ad reinhardt

 

pace’s exhibition will draw connections between works by turrell, a key figure of the light and space movement, and reinhardt, who pushed abstraction and monochromatism in painting to new frontiers during his lifetime.


ad reinhardt, abstract painting, black, 1953 © 2021 estate of ad reinhardt


ad reinhardt, abstract painting, blue, 1953 © 2021 estate of ad reinhardt

 

exhibition info:

 

name: ad reinhardt: color out of darkness, curated by james turrell
presented by: pace new york
new works: james turrell after effect 2021
dates: february 11 – march 19, 2022
location: 540 west 25th street, new york

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james turrell will debut a skyspace in a colorado oasis near pike’s peak this summer https://www.designboom.com/art/james-turrell-skyspace-red-butte-green-mountain-falls-green-box-arts-festival-pikes-peak-colorado-02-22-2022/ Tue, 22 Feb 2022 22:45:06 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=878567 the skyspace will be built of local stone and beetle kill pine, and will integrate a retractable roof for more specific light shows.

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a james turrell skyspace in colorado

 

this summer, light artist james turrell will debut his latest skyspace among the rocky, tree-lined cliffs near pike’s peak, one of colorado‘s most well-known fourteeners. the public artwork, rising 18-feet, will be installed as part of the green box arts festival in the peaceful little mountain town of green mountain falls, located near colorado springs around 90 minutes south of denver. 

 

the new piece, titled ‘skyspace on red butte,’ will stand as james turrell’s first skyspace in the mountains, the only one in colorado, and the first with a retractable roof. this last element will allow for more customized light shows for specialized events at any time of day. 

james turrell colorado
visualization by james turrell, edited by CL — HSE architects of OKC 

 

 

repurposing locally sourced materials

 

in designing this latest skyspace, james turrell (see more) and the historic green mountain falls foundation (see more) worked together to ensure that it felt local, and like part of the community of green mountain falls, colorado. first, the structure will be constructed with locally-sourced materials including stone drawn from nearby rock quarries, and beetle kill pine, or pine trees which have been killed by the mountain pine beetle. natives to the state will recognize these large patches of grey, dead trees along the mountainside, which will now come back to life as part of a james turrell skyspace. 

 

construction of the ‘skyspace on red butte’ is now underway for a june 2022 launch, just in time for the green box arts festival (see more) which will run from june 18th through july 4th, 2022.

james turrell coloradoimage courtesy of green box | @greenboxarts

 

 

a feat of engineering within a mesmerizing site

 

the construction of the james turrell skyspace in colorado has been a feat of engineering that requires all the materials — 1.2 million pounds of concrete and 100,000 pounds of steel — transported up the side of a mountain. recent construction updates have included the fifth concrete pour (there are six necessary) and will include a spectacular and scenic hike, arriving first at the town overlook and the final destination boasting even more mesmerizing views of the town’s valley and gazebo lake.

 

green box co-founder christian keesee comments: ‘green box invites you to slow down, inhale the energizing mountain air and take in an out-of-this-world permanent installation by james turrell—one that perfectly responds to humanity’s need for wonder, serenity and connection.’


image courtesy of green box

construction image, courtesy of green box

 

 

project info: 

 

project title: skyspace on red butte

artist: james turrell | @jamesturell

client: historic green mountain falls foundation

location: green mountain falls, colorado, USA

event: green box arts festival | @greenboxarts

festival dates: june 18th — july 4th 2022

expected completion: june 2022

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