Olafur Eliasson – KUNSTHAUS

Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson is one of the most important artists of our time. A major solo exhibition at the Kunsthaus presents many of his new works.

Exclusively for the Kunsthaus

Admission

CHF 23.–/18.– (concessions and groups)
Free admission for members and children and young people under the age of 17. Tip : Senior (AHV) discounts every Wednesday

Plan your visit

At its centre is a large scale installation created exclusively for Zurich that addresses a key issue of our age: the relationship and interplay between human and non-human actors on Earth.

In ‘Symbiotic seeing’, Eliasson tackles themes such as coexistence and symbiosis and aims to bring about a fundamental shift of perspective. The exhibition invites us not only to reflect on climate change – as a consequence of human action – but also to comprehend the human being as part of a larger system. The socially and environmentally committed artist, who was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals by the UN in September 2019, proposes an idea of the world based on coexistence and collaboration rather than competition.

Eliasson’s art translates complex theoretical deliberations into spatial works that not only appeal to people rationally but also touch them emotionally and move them physically.

‘Black Out’

Experience the Kunsthaus Collection in the dark with Olafur Eliasson’s ‘Little Sun’ solar lamp on 23 January and 6 February. Open until 11 p.m.

Guided tours

Public guided tours in German take place on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 11 a.m. A guided tour for English-speaking visitors takes place on Saturday 8 February at 4 p.m. Registration is not required. Appointments for private guided tours with a choice of languages, as well as workshops for schools, are available on request.

He has been working for over twenty years with an interdisciplinary team that includes craftspeople, architects, media specialists and cooks. He is known for space-filling works, light works and sculptures that prompt audiences to reflect on themselves and the world as they experience them.

Curator: Mirjam Varadinis

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Image above:
Olafur Eliasson, Escaped light landscape, 2020 (detail), photo: Alcuin Stevenson / Studio Olafur Eliasson, courtesy of the artist; neugerriemschneider, Berlin; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles, © 2020 Olafur Eliasson

« I strongly believe in the importance of having physical, embodied experiences. It matters to actually engage with our senses. » — Olafur Eliasson

« If our vision of the future doesn’t have an element of hope, we are less likely to do something. » — Olafur Eliasson

« Like many others, I feel the need to improve my climate footprint. » — Olafur Eliasson

New: Our Digitorial®!

Before your visit, the Digitorial® – the online preparation for the exhibition – will acquaint you with everything worth knowing about 'Olafur Eliasson: Symbiotic seeing'. What lies behind the art of Olafur Eliasson? How does he work, and how does his work touch us? An ideal introduction for anyone planning to visit the exhibition.

To the Digitorial