Back in 2003, Olafur Eliasson exhibited ‘The Weather Project’ in the turbine hall of the Tate Modern. His installation recreated the Sun and the Sky inside the turbine hall, transforming it into a serene and illuminating environment.
Today Greyworld, urban art specialists, installed an orange ball of light that illuminated Trafalgar square as a brand sponsored piece of public art. Dubbed the Trafalgar sun, this installation has gained plenty or attention and gained equally in column inches.
The Trafalgar Sun has arguably caused more of a stir than Olafur’s piece, which was incredibly similar in form and intention. It begs the question, would Olafur’s work been more popular and reached more people had it been in a public space?
It seems that in many cases people are more likely to walk pass exhibitions than walk through gallery doors, locking great art inside the four walls of a sparsely filled room.
Do there need to be more public art installations? I think so. More opportunities for regular people see interesting art? Certainly. Will this work get creative minds thinking of more ways to get their work seen by more people? Absolutely, I’m already plotting!
