Olafur Eliasson
First Exhibition in the Main Hall with Olafur Eliasson:
Mediating Space - A Laboratory
The exploration of space provides the central theme of the first exhibition at the new Aedes venue. From the beginning this topic has also been central to the work of Aedes, be it from an architectural or an urban development point of view. Olafur Eliasson's interpretation of this exploration turns the venue into a tangible experience.
The exhibition of Olafur Eliasson will revolve around his understanding of space and the ways in which space is configured, for instance through architecture and design. It will take the form of a laboratory, thus focusing on the experimental and processual aspects of Eliasson's work.
Any of his exhibitions begins with thorough preparations in his studio by way of experimenting, testing, and playing, basically, with various materials, forms, technical installations and solutions. It is this phase of Eliasson's artistic practice that will be central in the opening-show at the new venue of Aedes.
The Model room of Olafur Eliasson is a cabinet of studies, which exists both as a spatial structure and a viewing platform for dozens of intricately constructed models of various scales, developed together with Einar Thorsteinn, a architect and artist. The preparatory level – or ground work – is in general crucial to Eliasson's practice; he conceives his works basically as machines that produce phenomena through their interaction with the visitors. The machines are composed of multiple elements and often involve material and knowledge gained from fields other than art. Olafur Eliasson therefore collaborates with scientists occupied with cognitive and visual matters, with architects, and others.
To quote Olafur Eliasson: "Generally I believe that many of the spatial questions asked in and through my installations also apply to the wider context of architecture."
Aedes Catalogue
An Aedes catalogue will be published in cooperation with the Kiesler Foundation Vienna, with essays by Olafur Eliasson and Bart Lootsma.
