Immersion And Perception

Olafur Eliasson’s installation The Weather Project,a vast man-made spectacle designed specifically for the vast space of the Tate Modern in London,dramatically recreates the atmospheric environment in an elegant form that forms a kind of techno-romanticism.The work displays an aesthetic conflict between reflexivity and spectacle: on the one hand,The Weather Project creates an attractive and infectiously immersive space as a means of maximizing sensory enjoyment for the viewer.On the other hand,it is very clearly dedicated to denying the audience the opportunity to lose themselves in the unique atmosphere of the work.It inspires the viewer to take a reflective stance and not to experience the work simply as an alluring spectacle.This contradiction is the essence of The Weather Project,in which the artist explores the interaction between environment and perception.The thesis is divided into two main sections.First,the approach to creating an immersive space is elaborated in terms of both the creation of spatial atmosphere and the power of solar imagery.This includes an analysis of the utility of lighting,artificial fog,and mirrored ceilings in creating the visual impact of the work.The impact of the sun image on the viewer’s experience is also discussed in terms of both the symbolism of the sun and the sense of sublimity,as a way to illustrate the work’s pleasurable effect on the viewer’s sensory experience.Secondly,the artist’s intention for the viewer to have a reflective experience is revealed by elaborating on the qualities of the work that take people out of the immersive situation.One is to show the mechanism behind the work to avoid the viewer’s addiction to the illusion and to make the viewer re-examine his or her perception.The second is to draw the viewer into his or her own act of looking through the special perspective provided by the mirror,so that the viewer can reconstruct himself or herself as the "mirror self" as the other.At the same time,the atmosphere created by the work creates a temporary community among the viewers,allowing them to imagine themselves as part of this community apart from their everyday actions and identities.This paper argues that the focus of The Weather Project is not to create a perfect weather illusion,but to create a place for people to reflect,to explore the relationship between the perceiving subject and the artwork through the "ambivalence" implied in the work,so as to lead the audience to break away from their habitual passive acceptance and re-examine their own way of seeing the world.