Situated in the Tate Modern in 2003, The Weather Project by Olafur Eliasson transforms Turbine Hall into a representation of the sun and sky. The sun consists of monofrequency lights that alter the perception of color within the installation. Mist generated by haze machines creates a fog that pervades the participants and the space. Participants walk about the space, others choose to lie down and look up. The ceiling, however, consists of mirrors. Therefore, in looking up, participants catch a glimpse at themselves and attempt to connect their movements to that in the reflection. The visual disturbances largely interrupt one’s ability to do so.
The Weather Project allows individuals to interact with manmade meterological conditions indoors (and thus collectively). In Tate’s description about the installation, Eliasson mentions that he “carefully chose information which would not prejudice or influence the visitor’s expectation of the work of art: ‘I think there is often a discrepancy between the experience of seeing and the knowledge or expectation of what we are seeing.’” In this regard, The Weather Project presents a site for knowledge through experience. More specifically, the installation forces one to consider how experience mediates knowledge of the weather.
Featured Image by Lonpicman at English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ATheWeatherProject.jpg