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.

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 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.

the subterranean oculi — Skyspaces — are ‘cosmic observatories’ that frame the shifting hues of the sky above

the untitled work builds upon Turrell’s ongoing investigations into the phenomena of color, space, and perception

a sequence of vast pathways, tunnels, chambers, and staircases will be carved into the canyon floor

envisioned as a portal to an alternate reality through light

the exhibition kicks off the AlUla Arts Festival

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

Jubilee pulses an intricately intense composition of color and light

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

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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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

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

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

The post james turrell’s grandest skyspace takes center stage in danica o. kus’ photography appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

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

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

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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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.’

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 / 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.’

construction phase of the Skyspace

Overview of one of the shows in James Turrell’s Green Mountain Falls Skyspace

Image by Savvy Studio / James Turrell’s Skyspace at Culiacan botanical garden (read the full story here)

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

The post james turrell debuts green mountain falls skyspace, a sky observatory with retractable roof appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

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. 

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.

image 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

The post james turrell will debut a skyspace in a colorado oasis near pike’s peak this summer appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

water tank exterior, future site of skyspace | image by will mclaughlin

set to open on may 29, 2021, the skyspace will join a long-term exhibition of turrell works at MASS MoCA, which includes one work from each of the six decades of the artist’s career. skyspaces are rooms or buildings that frame the sky as a canvas with infinite depth. seemingly bringing the sky closer to the viewer, the works function as naked-eye observatories of the sky which encourage a focused contemplation of light and space.

interior of james turrell, within without, 2010. national gallery of australia, canberra | image by john gollings

‘this skyspace was first conceived 33 years ago, when turrell toured the MASS MoCA campus and identified the remains of an abandoned concrete water tank as an ideal site for the development of a skyspace,’ explains joseph thompson, founding director of MASS MoCA. ‘in many ways, this story exemplifies MASS MoCA’s commitment to supporting artists and their careers over time, and to working with them to realize their dreams, no matter how big or ambitious.’

james turrell, piz uter, 2005. walter a. bechtler-stifung for hotel castell, zuoz, switzerland | image by florian holzherr
read more about this project on designboom here

the concrete water tank that houses the skyspace was used by the previous occupants of the MASS MoCA factory campus as a source of standby fire protection for the 16-acre, 28-building mill complex. ‘the work’s simplicity and raw industrial materials are in keeping with my earlier works of the 1970s and 80s, which I guess is not surprising, since that’s when this project was first conceived,’ notes turrell.

james turrell skyspace, structure & rendering | image © james turrell, structure & rendering by darryl cowie

turrell’s initial idea has been amplified by the addition of contemporary state-of-the art lighting technology, precise programmable controls, and a highly sophisticated electromechanical roof dome fabricated from lightweight composite materials that provide complete light and weather sealing. during dusk and dawn, the aperture will be opened and the space will be exposed to the sky, with subtle interior lighting that complements the change in natural light during sunset and sunrise. during the day, the dome will be sealed and will be transformed into a tightly controlled multisensory environment, with light projected across the cylindrical interior walls and domed ceiling and sound altered by the contours of the architecture.

james turrell skyspace, structure & rendering | image © james turrell, structure & rendering by darryl cowie

the skyspace is being co-fabricated by the museum’s own fabrication team and the australia-based DCG design and darryl cowie. architectural support is being provided by bruner/cott, who worked on all phases of MASS MoCA’s development. alongside the opening of skyspace, MASS MoCA will present a small, focused show of behind-the-scenes ‘making of’ drawings, including hand sketches, used in the development of the skyspace. this exhibition will feature turrell and cowie’s drawings alongside architectural renderings from bruner/cott.

joe’s field during freshgrass festival 2014, with the water tank at far back right, with installation by marko remec
image by caleb blansett

the skyspace joins nine other large-scale immersive light and space installations, nine holograms, and multiple models on quasi-permanent view in MASS MoCA’s building 6. on may 29, 2021, MASS MoCA will also open an exhibition of turrell’s lapsed quaker ware, followed by an opening on may 30 of a simultaneous presentation of the ceramics collection at hancock shaker village. this series of basalt tableware was designed and made in a collaboration between turrell and irish potter nicholas mosse of kilkenny, ireland. the skyspace at MASS MoCA is set to open on may 29, 2021.

project info:

name: MASS MoCA skyspace
location: north adams, massachusetts
institution: MASS MoCA
design: james turrell
architectural support: bruner/cott
fabrication: MASS MoCA’s fabrication team / DCG design and darryl cowie
status: opening on may 29, 2021

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on saturday january 30, 2021, the 11th edition of the renowned engadin art talks (E.A.T.) — the forum for art, architecture, design, film, science, and literature — took place, with designboom a media partner. as part of the event, swiss percussionist and composer fritz hauser performed a drum piece inside james turrell’s skyspace ‘piz uter’. watch hauser’s performance, as well as a discussion with E.A.T. curator bice curiger, in the video above, and read more about the turrell-designed skyspace below.

image courtesy of OAP and walter a. bechtler-stiftung
video: fritz hauser percussionist and composer, CH in conversation with bice curiger, E.A.T. curator

in 2005, the client behind the project — the walter a. bechtler foundation — tapped zurich-based firm OAP architektur & projekte to work with james turrell to realize the skyspace ‘piz uter’. OAP worked closely with the artist to draw up the technical drawings and planning documents. the team also worked with lighting and illumination specialists familiar with turrell’s work. ‘although the ‘skyspaces’ represent a series of similar artworks in the artist’s oeuvre, each of them is unique — marked by its geometric shape and especially the individual geographic location,’ OAP explains.

image courtesy of OAP and walter a. bechtler-stiftung

embedded into the terrain almost 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) above sea level, the autonomous structure is clad with stone masonry. internally, the cylindrical building consists of only one room with two openings: the entrance and the overhead oculus. a concrete bench encircles the room, with an incline that naturally directs views towards the opening above.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Fritz Hauser (@fritz.hauser)

like turrell’s other skyspaces, the aperture in the ceiling is constructed in such a way that occupants cannot perceive the thickness of the roof plane. this gesture creates a two-dimensional effect with the sky appearing as a flat painting. at dusk, integrated lighting allows this ‘2D’ image to expand across the entire space in ever-changing color combinations.

image courtesy of OAP and walter a. bechtler-stiftung

other james turrell-designed skyspaces featured on designboom include a lightroom within the arlberg mountains of western austria, and another at a restaurant, museum, and hotel in beijing. see all work by the acclaimed american artist on our dedicated page here.

 

 

 

 

 

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image by anna roduit / engadin art talks

fritz hauser at skyspace ‘piz uter’ | image by anna roduit / engadin art talks

image by anna roduit / engadin art talks

image by anna roduit / engadin art talks

image by anna roduit / engadin art talks

image by anna roduit / engadin art talks

section | image courtesy of OAP and walter a. bechtler-stiftung

project info:

name: james turrell skyspace piz uter, zuoz
artist: james turrell, flagstaff, arizona
architect: OAP architektur & projekte, zürich
OAP team: erich offermann, birgit schneider
lighting and electrical planning: die lichtplaner, limburg staffel
supporting structure: edy toscano AG, pontresina /gr
owner: walter a. bechtler-stiftung, zürich, rudolf bechtler
cultural management: häusler kulturmanagement GmbH, münchen
reference person: wolfgang häusler, häusler contemporary, münchen
execution date: 2005
total area: 68 sqm / 732 sqf

E.A.T. is internationally recognized for bringing together leading artists, architects, writers, scientists and disruptive thinkers from around the world. its mission is to provide an interdisciplinary platform for a global dialogue on the arts and different creative fields. internationally recognized for its line-up of leading artists, architects, writers, scientists, and disruptive minds from all over the world, E.A.T. has invited so far more than 140 speakers that have presented their ideas and visions on challenging social relevant themes since its inception in 2010. E.A.T. was founded by cristina bechtler together with hans ulrich obrist.

The post inside the james turrell skyspace ‘piz uter’: fritz hauser drum piece appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

‘james turrell’s meeting at MoMA PS1 will remain closed until construction scaffolding is no longer visible from the work,’ a spokeswoman for MoMA PS1 told artnet news in an email. ‘the completed building will not be visible from the installation. we will re-open the work as soon as possible once the temporary construction scaffolding is no longer visible.’

Here’s another photo someone dropped in our comments. I kind of love how perfectly NYC this piece is now… pic.twitter.com/AW1LfC98au

— Jen Carlson (@jenist) January 17, 2019

as stated by art info, this is not the first time the artist has shut down one of his skyspaces. in 2012, the nasher sculpture center in dallas closed its own version of the work as a reflection from a glass façade from a nearby luxury condominium development compromised the art on view. the installation was reconstructed in another part of the building to avoid the glare.

on other james turrell news, the roden crater is set to open after 45 years, following $10 million injection from kanye west.

all images courtesy of MoMA

The post james turrell closes MoMA PS1 installation because of intrusive construction scaffolding appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

all images by florian holzherr, courtesy of james turrell

‘skyspace lech’ was realized alongside lighting specialists zumtobel and baumschlager eberle architekten, who worked on the project’s technical drawings. nestled between hiking trails, alpine passes, and mountains, turrell’s installation is accessed by a subterranean tunnel. this underground passage has been carefully aligned to deliver dramatic views of the biberkopf peak — a 2,599 meter high mountain on the border between germany and austria.

the installation is accessed by a subterranean tunnel

visitors are then led into the light space itself, which is referred to as the ‘sensing room’. importantly, the building is equipped with a mobile dome, which, when closed, allows the room to be used for ‘ganzfelds’ — another of turrell’s artistic concepts, where the perception of visitors is dramatically distorted by removing the space’s perceived structure. see designboom’s archive of projects by james turrell here.

an opening in the ceiling offers an unobstructed view of the sky

carefully integrated lighting changes the apparent color of the walls

the tunnel is aligned to deliver views of the biberkopf peak

the lightroom is set within the arlberg mountains of western austria

The post james turrell opens skyspace in the austrian mountains appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

turrell has been experimenting with light as a medium of artistic expression since the mid sixties 
image by ben mcmillan, courtesy of the artist 

a james turrell skyspace reconfigures its visitors’ perception of the world around them, and more specifically, their relationship to the infinite space that floats over their heads. the almost inconceivably immense journey of light from the sun to the human eye is the phenomenon by which each of turrell’s spaces is realized, and on which they are dependent. in each location, simply outfitted rooms become viewing galleries to the heavens, the slow gradations of light within mirroring the celestial cycles viewed through an opening in the ceiling. the sky — something normally beyond human reach — is brought down to our level.

particularly arresting during the hours of twilight or during a star filled night, skyspaces become a stage on which the entire spectrum of human vision is put on show. ‘my work has no object, no image and no focus,’ explains turrell, ‘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.’

in each location, simply outfitted rooms become viewing galleries to the heavens
image by ben mcmillan, courtesy of the artist

one of the most stirring of turrell’s skyspaces is located at temple — a restaurant, museum, and hotel in beijing, china, which designboom recently visited. steps away from the forbidden city and jingshan park, the site itself is a vast, centuries-old buddhist complex, which has been recently transformed into a 3,500 square meter cultural venue (take a virtual tour here). the major restoration of the location was initiated by belgian entrepreneur juan van wassenhove — a longtime collector, and patron of the arts. alongside former film producers li chow and lin fan, van wassenhove founded temple, a compound which now includes a fine-dining restaurant, a hotel, and an art museum. an ongoing program of regular exhibitions spotlights the work of both chinese and international creatives, with a particular focus on light works. 

‘gathered sky’ is located just a stone’s throw from beijing’s forbidden city
image by ben mcmillan, courtesy of the artist

after two years of work on the project, and five years following its public opening, the experience of turrell’s skyspace at temple is no less breathtaking. specifically designed for sunset viewings and only open four days a week, ‘gathered sky’ invites visitors to lie on mats and pillows and look upward towards a rectangular aperture in the ceiling that frames the beijing sky as it readies to set. while eclectic music plays in the background, viewers can contemplate, meditate, and consider their surroundings for more than one hour, as the color of the scene naturally evolves overhead. turrell has programmed a sequence of continuously-changing LED lights, fine-tuned to complement the ever-changing hues of the sky. by the time the music finishes — acting not only an imagination-enhancer, but an indicator of the installation’s conclusion — night has fallen, and the sky is pitch black. 

‘my desire is to set up a situation to which I take you and let you see’, turrell explains, ‘it becomes your experience’. 

the location is a centuries old buddhist temple
image by ben mcmillan, courtesy of the artist

about temple restaurant and museum:

the temple restaurant, museum, and hotel is a 3,500 square meter cultural venue set in a 600-year-old complex in the heart of beijing. the historic site includes ancient halls of worship, the former living quarters of prominent buddhist figures, and civilian buildings constructed after the founding of the people’s republic of china. architectural and design firm HASSEL was involved in the design of the interior of the restaurant, while the restoration of all the buildings in the complex — including the qing dynasty protected buildings — was curated by temple’s founders under the supervision of local cultural heritage protection authorities. both qing dynasty and contemporary houses built in the 1960s have become stylish event spaces and conference rooms for the hotel. an art gallery, with an ongoing program of regular exhibitions, spotlights the work of both chinese and international artists. temple’s private collection of contemporary art pieces is furthermore featured in private rooms and throughout its gardens. also on site is ‘gathered sky’, the first and only installation by artist james turrell in china, which can be viewed by the public four days a week at sunset.

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