Inside Presence, the Icelandic-Danish artist’s epic new show in Brisbane, what you see changes based on where you stand or how you look – crucial when it comes to tackling the climate crisis
I
gasp as it comes into view: an enormous sun looming above, its surface roiling with what looks like thousands of tiny atomic explosions. It seems to notice me as well: when I stop, it stops too. It’s both awe-inspiring and unnerving.
In the mirrors around the glowing orb, I spot Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson – globally renowned for large-scale installations that challenge your sense of perception – posing for selfies with the crowd.
It’s the opening night of Presence, a major exhibition spanning Eliasson’s 30-year practice that occupies the entire ground floor of the Gallery of Modern Art (Goma) in Meanjin/Brisbane. His 2014 work Riverbed – a room filled with 100 tonnes of sand, river pebbles and rock – makes its return, alongside immersive works that play with light, colour and movement, and photographs spotlighting the climate crisis.
