Olafur Eliasson — From rainbows to icebergs & everything in-between

Wed 19 Nov 2025

Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson’s multi-sensory artworks have transformed landscapes and cityscapes around the world. The Brisbane-exclusive exhibition 'Olafur Eliasson: Presence' at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) from 6 December 2025 draws from the three‑decade career of one of the world’s most influential living artists.

Eliasson's immersive environments come to life as they meet the viewer's senses and body, here, we look at some of his artworks exhibited across the globe... have you been an active participant in any of these?

London 2003

The weather project 2003 installed in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern entailed a semi-circular screen, a ceiling of mirrors that visually doubled the volume of the hall, and artificial mist to create the illusion of a glowing sun. Backlit by approximately 200 mono-frequency lights, the semi-circle and its reflection created the image of a massive, indoor sunset prompting viewers to consider their relationship with nature in an urban environment.

New York 2008

The New York City Waterfalls was an installation of four cascading waterfalls located in the East River, New York, merging art, engineering and nature aiming to make the public more aware of their relationship with the urban waterfront and the power of nature. The 30-40m high structures were on the Brooklyn anchorage under Brooklyn Bridge; between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn; Lower Manhattan at Pier 35; and on Governors Island.

Denmark 2011

Installed on the rooftop of ARoS Aarhus Art Museum in Denmark, Your rainbow panorama offered visitors sweeping views of the city, the sky, and the distant horizon. The elevated 360-degree walkway is 150 metres around and glazed with rainbow-coloured glass. Visible from afar, the work divides Aarhus into various colour zones and acts as a beacon for people moving about the city — an effect that is heightened at night when lights running the circumference of the walkway illuminate it from within.

Paris 2015

Twelve large blocks of ice cast off from the Greenland ice sheet were harvested from a fjord outside Nuuk and presented in a clock formation at Place du Panthéon, and in prominent public places around the world. Ice Watch 2014 raised awareness of climate change by providing a direct and tangible experience of the reality of melting arctic ice.

Los Angeles 2024

Pluriverse assembly 2021 splits light into different wavelengths, opening a spectrum of colour, just as sunlight is refracted when shining through water, mist or ice. Watching this revolving display, we might feel we have been taken into deep space, as if a window has opened to a distant galaxy, where planets orbit new stars. Visitors to GOMA will get to experience this work during ‘Olafur Eliasson: Presence’.

Brisbane 2025

Making its first appearance is the exhibition's title work. Presence 2025 appears to move and shift with energy, flooding the room in a single vivid colour — the use of yellow monofrequency lights and layers of pattern create a ‘moiré effect’ activated by our motion. Mirrors then expand the gallery beyond what seems possible, creating the impression of a complete sphere. Reminiscent of The weather project 2003, Eliasson heightens our perception of how we move on this planet and are connected to space beyond.

The development of the exhibition has been a years-long collaboration with the artist and his studio team and included curatorial residencies at the Studio Olafur Eliasson in Berlin.

‘Presence’ is accompanied by an expansive publication produced in collaboration with Eliasson and his studio with contributions from celebrated writers Ceridwen Dovey and Robert Macfarlane, a curatorial essay and extended interview with the artist.

The exhibition is complemented by QAGOMA’s interactive mobile companion, which includes an exhibition guide with curatorial insights, images, and behind-the-scenes videos, and a sense trail that invites visitors to experience selected artworks through gentle sensory prompts. When you buy your ticket to 'Presence', you’ll immediately get access to enhance your visit, so bring your headphones.

Images courtesy Olafur Eliasson

Olafur Eliasson: Presence
6 December 2025 – 12 July 2026
Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
Gallery 1.1 (The Fairfax Gallery), Gallery 1.2 & Gallery 1.3 (Eric and Marion Taylor Gallery)
Brisbane, Australia
Get tickets to 'Olafur Eliasson: Presence’