Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki to present solo exhibition and new commission by international contemporary artist Olafur Eliasson

Thursday 10 October 2024

Auckland Art Gallery is delighted to announce the upcoming exhibition Your curious journey by globally renowned artist Olafur Eliasson, marking the first solo showcase of the Icelandic-Danish artist in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Opening on Saturday 7 December 2024, this retrospective highlights over 30 years of Eliasson’s practice, featuring installations, sculptures, and photographs that explore themes of human perception, experimentation, and environmental awareness.

Eliasson describes the exhibition as a collection of diverse artworks that invite visitors to embark on their own journeys. “What fascinates me is how the different ways we observe natural phenomena can connect us, not just to each other, but also to the larger world around us. That’s something I try to work with in my art: experiences that welcome everyone.”

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Director of Auckland Art Gallery Kirsten Lacy, reflects on the significance of the exhibition: “Eliasson’s work invites visitors to engage with critical environmental themes in a way that is both personal and collective. Audiences are drawn to his ability to create rich experiences that challenge their perceptions and connections to the world around them. We hope visitors will leave with a renewed sense of connection to their surroundings and an appreciation for how art can provoke thought and dialogue about the important environmental issues we face in Auckland and New Zealand.”

Senior Curator Global Contemporary Art Natasha Conland adds: “Eliasson’s background as an Icelandic artist, gives him a unique relationship with the arctic circle, which mirrors New Zealand’s inverse relationship with Antarctica and the shifting ice field.

A highlight of the exhibition is the special commissioned piece Under the weather located in the Gallery’s Te Ātea | North Atrium. This work includes a suspended 11-meter elliptical disc that flickers and changes as visitors move around the space. The Moiré pattern created by overlapping grids invites reflection on perception and movement, altering visitor’s perceptions of the surrounding architecture. 

Eliasson elaborates on the nature of his work: “The Moiré patterns central to Under the weather, 2022 – much like the shimmering rainbow in Beauty, 1993 – exist primarily within your eyes and brain, although both are based on observable phenomena in the world. These works are always independent and yet site-specific – or you might even say viewer-specific. They seek to make the invisible visible, whether it’s the relativity of our colour perception in Yellow corridor, 1997, or the magnetic field that wraps the globe in Adrift compass, 2019.”

The exhibition also highlights the logistical journey of Eliasson’s artworks, showcasing drawings derived from the crates used for transport, underscoring the environmental considerations in their creation. “The artworks have completed a journey to meet you. Each bears the marks of its creation and the challenges that led to the particular form in front of you,” Eliasson notes.

Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey has been developed in collaboration with Studio Olafur Eliasson and leading art institutions across Asia. The exhibition was first presented at Singapore Art Museum (10 May–22 Sep 2024). Following its visit to Auckland, the exhibition will travel to Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan (21 June–21 Sep 2025); Museum MACAN, Jakarta, Indonesia (21 Nov 2025–5 April 2026); and Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila, Philippines (28 June–October 2026).

Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey is supported by the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation. The exhibition is presented in association with Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival 2025. 

Exhibition details:
Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Saturday 7 December 2024 – Sunday 23 March 2025

Admission:
Adults $24.50, Members FREE, Children 12 and under FREE, with concessions available.
Tickets on sale in November.

Previous works at the Gallery:
Eliasson’s work has previously been featured at the Gallery, including the Cubic Structural Evolution Project (2014-15) and Stardust Particle in Light from Tate: 1700s to Now (2023), both of which received positive feedback.