What it is
Olafur Eliasson is an Icelandic-Danish artist creating large-scale installations that explore nature, perception, climate, and the relationship between human bodies and physical environments. Major works include The Weather Project (a massive artificial sun in Tate Modern's Turbine Hall), Ice Watch (glacial ice blocks displayed in city centers), and Little Sun (a solar-powered LED lamp designed for communities without electricity). His studio in Berlin employs 100+ people including architects, engineers, and researchers.
Why we picked this
Eliasson's work makes climate change felt rather than understood. Watching people embrace glacial ice blocks in London's streets, or standing beneath a 30-meter artificial sun, creates an emotional register that data and reports cannot reach. The Little Sun project goes further: it is functional design, not just art, providing solar light to 3+ million people in off-grid communities. Eliasson proves that art and practical impact are not opposites.
Key takeaways
- The Weather Project at Tate Modern attracted 2 million visitors, making it one of the most-visited art installations in history and demonstrating art's power to create shared climate experiences.
- Little Sun has distributed over 3 million solar lamps to off-grid communities, combining artistic design with functional impact in areas without electricity.
- Ice Watch placed 12 tonnes of Greenland glacial ice in public squares, letting people physically touch climate change as the ice melted over days.