Detour to Berlin

I mentioned in my inaugural post how I came to realize that an architectural piece that I saw on a trip to Berlin (in 2003), turned out to be an installation by Olafur Eliasson. At the time of my trip, I did not know who Eliasson was, or that what I saw was an art installation. I thought what I saw was an example of a modern element that Germans are so good at adding to everyday architecture, often in unexpected places. While doing research recently for my post on Olafur Eliasson (at the Margulies Collection in Miami) though, I learned that what I saw in Potzdammer Platz was in fact his work. Entitled Windspiegelwand (I think it translates as Wind Wound Mirror), it is a series of mirror plates that line the sides of a building. The mirror plates move freely with the wind, reflecting the sky at different angles. It was very pretty to look at. Above is the photograph that I took at the time. As you can see there were other art pieces there: larger than life rose sculptures that seemed to be floating on the pond and a sculpture on the other side. Are they still there? I don't know. May be my visitors from Berlin can respond?

This is a perfect example of what I love about contemporary art: The discovery. What I saw a few years ago turned out to be a piece by an artist that I later came to know and appreciate. The Berlin trip was an eye-opening experience. I borrowed a friend's amateur camera, loaded it with black & white film, and clicked away to capture modern architecture all around town. It is one of my most memorable trips.

Your Now is My Surroundings

That's me inside an Olafur Eliasson installation in the Margulies Collection. The work is titled Your Now is My Surroundings. A door inside the gallery leads you outside to a deep and narrow box of a space. The high walls are covered with mirrors above eye level that reflect the viewers' image infinitely. The skylight above is only covered by a drainpipe construction in a zigzag pattern that resembles water waves. It lets the air in. The sky is like a bright canopy on top of a dark box. Inside the installation you feel like you are immersed in the depths of the ocean looking up to the sky above. The day I was there it was a bright sunny day with few clouds. On a rainy day you could probably feel like you were lost deep in the dark ocean (and wet!).

Floating in Miami

I was in Miami last month enjoying the art, long after Miami Basel. I imagine it' s a good time to visit the art district without the crowds, at your own pace. I went to the Margulies Collection for the first time. It is a large private collection that houses an eclectic holding of photography, video, sculpture and installation art in an old warehouse. It has pieces by some of the best known artists. The collection is huge ; I clearly did not give myself enough time. There is so much to see and digest, it is probably a better idea to break up your visit, so you're not rushing. Hey, admission is free!



In a corner, suspended in the air, was the Inverted Mirror Sphere by Olafur Eliasson, a Danish artist best known for his Weather Project at the Tate Modern a few years ago (I wish i had seen it). The sphere is a perfect example of what makes him unique: he works with light as a medium. He plays with reflective materials to diffuse light and create an immersive experience in a space that envelopes you. The light in the sphere leaves the impression of a stylized sun on the floor.



Its construction reminds you of a dandelion, floating lightly in the air. It's pretty cool.

I was visiting his website (olafureliasson.net) and discovered that i saw another one of his installations on a trip to Berlin, without knowing that it was his work. More on that on a future post.