In 2003, Tate Modern commissioned Olafur to create the Weather Project, a giant sun in the massive Turbine Hall, which encouraged art watchers to lounge on the floor and bask in the blazing orange light. A creative powerhouse who engages his audience, he thinks about light in every possible way. We asked him a few questions about making art, projects he’s been working on and what led to his luminous career. What are some of your earliest memories of light and darkness? How did growing up in Iceland affect your perception of light? When I was about five years old, I visited my grandparents in the city of Hafnarfjördur in Iceland. It was during the energy crisis of the ’70s and I remember hearing a siren, and suddenly the whole city blacked out. It was an incredible feeling to see all the lights in a city go out at once, including This story is from Kinfolk Issue Fourteen Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 47 Thanks, I Hate It How to give feedback to art friends. Arts & Culture Issue 46 Puff Piece On inflatable art. Arts & Culture Issue 44 Hannah Traore The art world's next big thing is a gallerist. Arts & Culture Issue 43 The Sellout On the moral maze of art and money. Arts & Culture Issue 42 Dream House The rise of renderporn. Arts & Culture Issue 40 Olalekan Jeyifous On fantastical architecture and sci-fi Brooklyn.
