Olafur Eliasson

Notion Motion, 2005

wood, rubber, lamps, water

Notion Motion consists of three parts that explore the interaction between water, light and the viewer. Eliasson has created an enchanting work with simple means. He immerses the viewer in a simple and minimal yet overwhelming visual experience created by the interplay of light and water.

Visitors enter a darkened room illuminated only by a dusky projection of rippling water on the surface of a pool. The space echoes with the creaking of gently seesawing floorboards which make low, rusty cries under the steps of visitors. The attention of the viewer is initially consumed by bodily awareness. With each step, the soft falling and settling of weight is reminiscent the experience of walking over a buoyed harbor dock. However, as more intrepid or antagonistic visitors begin to test the limits of the environment by bouncing more vigorously from one plank to another, louder creaks and squeals reverberate throughout the room. At this point, the projection begins to tremble with almost seismic register as bolder and more rapid waves ripple in tandem with the activity on the floor.