Thursday Salute to Originals: Atmospheric Waves
A Massive Public Art Installation Captures the Atmosphere of the Chicago’s Coastlines.
A blue, powder-coated steel wall sits between the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Scattered bits of orange tile between the cool blue and green themes emulate Chicago’s aquatic ecosystem in a unique way.
Titled “Atmospheric wave wall,” the art installation is the first public project for Olafur Eliasson — a Danish-Icelandic artist commissioned by the city’s EQ Office. The wall is constructed from 1,963 curved tiles in a Penrose tilting formation — a five-fold symmetrical design that runs to the edges of a crisp, wavy border.
At night, a light shines through the metallic mural, emitting an eerie yet beautiful glow.
“Inspired by the unpredictable weather that I witnessed stirring up the surface of Lake Michigan, ‘Atmospheric wave wall’ appears to change according to your position and to the time of day and year. What we see depends on our point of view: understanding this is an important step toward realizing that we can change reality,” said Eliasson in a public statement.
This Thursday, we’re saluting Olafur Eliasson’s public art installation “Atmospheric wave wall.” You can check out more of the artist’s work internationally on his studio site and Instagram.
Sources: Olafur Eliasson, This is Colossal