Olafur Eliasson’s exhibition at Istanbul Modern invites viewers to contemplate the broader, universal questions of existence.
Picture this: I’m standing on an ice floe. Despite the sun’s dazzling brightness overhead, the air feels like it’s slicing through my skin—sharp as a paper cut. Each breath feels thick, as if the air itself is solid, threatening to shatter my teeth with every inhale. The vast, silent whiteness is suddenly interrupted by a rhythmic sound. Plink, plink… My heart, numbed by the freezing cold, feels like it has no room to beat. But then, out of nowhere, it pounds wildly. Something’s not right! The sound grows faster and louder. PLINK, PLINK, PLINK
The ground beneath me crumbles. My thoughts drift to Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die, a novel about a woman’s profound inner journey. Veronika realizes she has never felt true cold before and steps outside to embrace the experience. I recall her stepping out into the chill, wearing only a thin nightgown, and how, in that moment, she rediscovered her senses. I’m reminded of my own days wandering through Istanbul’s snowy streets, almost deserted because of the cold, soaking in the tranquility. Now, it barely even snows in Istanbul anymore…
I open my eyes, closed for just three seconds. I’m back in the exhibition hall at Istanbul Modern, standing before Olafur Eliasson’s piece, which feels like it’s pulling us into the dark void left by a melting ice floe. Is this truly art? To me, it felt like a slap in the face.
The climate crisis is at our doorstep, but we hesitate to open the door. We’re afraid to face it! Even if we try to ignore the persistent knocking, we’re confronted with the stark reality reflected in Eliasson’s mirror, standing in that exhibition hall where we sought art but found a deeper truth.
Olafur Eliasson, the Icelandic-Danish artist, transcends geography. He is truly a global artist. Speaking to us through the language of nature, Eliasson incorporates elements like light, water, and air into his creations. Nature is not just a theme in his art; it’s his collaborator. This partnership transforms the viewer from a passive onlooker into an active participant, engaging us in ways that blur the line between art and the natural world.
