Beauty 1993

Olafur Eliasson made this beauty with light, water, and a projector. Imagine Eliasson in his studio, tinkering, adjusting, a real alchemist of light. The process of making this artwork is to do with engineering an environment. The rainbow becomes the brushstroke, and the entire room is the canvas. I think about the ephemeral nature of rainbows, always changing, always dependent on specific conditions, and here Eliasson has captured this fleeting moment, turning it into something tangible, yet still elusive. The emotional resonance is in the quietness of the scene, the silent hum of the projector, the gentle wash of colour. Artists are always in conversation. It’s a reminder of the potential for painting to be more than just paint on a surface, but an invitation to experience something profound and transformative. It is an embodied expression which embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.