bucket list #33
curated by
Beata Denton Reform Arkitekter What
James Turrell’s Immersive Skyspace light installation in the Austrian alps.
Where
Lech am Arlberg, Austria.
How
Hike or ski there. One enters the domed Skyspace through a 15-metre-long tunnel, bathed in coloured light.
When
The light art can be seen in summer or winter during sunrise and sunset. Since the dome must be open for this, good weather conditions are necessary.
Why
Natural light, artificial light and mountains all at once; it seems like a magic mix to me. The Skyspace has an opening in the dome to the sky. While the room slowly changes colour the sky seems to do the same. I´ve been to a few Turrell installations, but not this one. What they have in common is the slow changing of the experience by the shifting coloured light and how you’re affected by this. One gets drawn into an almost subconscious state of mind. It´s strangely more fascinating the longer one stays. Being immersed in the experience is a relief from other inputs during the day and life. For a long moment just let go of time… simply float along. The Lech Skyspace installation has an added quality due to its location. I think I would be thrilled when leaving via the coloured light-filled tunnel with the mountains in view at a distance. They represent two different realities - the artificial and the natural…and two different emotional responses at the same time. www.reformark.se 138 / 139
“Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness” Origin unknown Image: Florian Holzherr