Unspoken Spaces

The first monograph of Olafur Eliasson in more than ten years, produced in close collaboration with the artist and his studio, explores his driving interest in finding visionary shapes to physically represent abstract ideas. It is a richly illustrated journey through spheres, tunnels, towers, walkways, and archways, as well as pavilions and larger buildings realized by Eliasson and his studio since the late 1990s. The work is illuminated by in-depth project descriptions and Eliasson’s own words. Informative essays by renowned writers across a variety of fields—from geologists and historians of art and science to architects, artists, and philosophers—give the works context.
Eliasson’s works around the world range from small-scale experiments, such as pavilions or tunnels, to large-scale public projects, among them such seminal works as The Serpentine Pavilion (2007) in London (with Kjetil Thorsen), Your Rainbow Panorama (2011) in Aarhus, Denmark, or the crystalline façade for Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre (2005–11) in Reykjavik. The works investigate the nature of space itself, in particular considering how space is actively conceived of by viewers as they move through and perceive the artwork.