I recently stumbled across my notes from Olafur Eliasson's "Take Your Time" exhibit at the SF MoMA. I thought I would share...
Sometimes when you visit art exhibitions, the reaction to a piece is just as critical as the art itself. This is certainly the case here, where Eliasson simply wants to provoke a moment or a feeling, a profound connection or experience for the viewer. I write this amongst flashing lights in an empty room with benches.
One man observes me taking notes, trying to figure out why I am taking notes. What is so significant about this room, this piece? He refers to his catalogue. Many drift in and out of this seemingly insignificant room. Some sit, the benches are simply a respite. Others try to make a desperate attempt to make a real connection with what is happening in this room, to see what the artist is portraying (some of us art junkies try for something when nothing exists - maybe it's just lights in a room, sometimes we try too hard when we simply need to enjoy the delicate simplicity).
One man makes finger puppets, as people walk in they see me in the back, crouched down amongst the light, writing, it instigates them to linger longer. "What is happening here?" My presence as a Jane Goodall now appears to have drawn a crowd, really, I don't understand the piece and am unable to make a connection. So, rather than try to connect to it or understand the piece, I have decided to attempt to understand the motivation of the presence of others in this room.
I suppose I should leave now...so that the room may clear, and the gentleman that has been scratching his head and searching his catalogue, and staring at the lights, since I began writing...may walk out too.
Take your time was the first comprehensive survey in the United States of works by Olafur Eliasson, whose immersive environments, sculptures, and photographs elegantly recreate the extremes of landscape and atmosphere in his native Scandinavia, while foregrounding the sensory experience of the work itself. Drawn from collections worldwide, the presentation spans over fifteen years of Eliasson’s career. His constructions, at once eccentric and highly geometric, use multicolored washes, focused projections of light, mirrors, and elements such as water, stone, and moss to shift the viewer’s perception of place and self. By transforming the gallery into a hybrid space of nature and culture, Eliasson prompts an intensive engagement with the world and offers a fresh consideration of everyday life.
