The installation The Light and the Fog took place in what used to be a glazed-in bar in the heart of Gothenburg. It was developed from a concept by Olafur Eliasson, and had the joint purpose of calling attention to questions regarding artificial light, not least from environmental and equality points of view. The actual installation took place in a specially constructed room within the room where the audience were only allowed inside in small groups. In this approximately 5 x 2,5 meter room, smoke from dry ice mixed with tiny drops of water spread from devices in the ceiling to produce a thick, moist fog that, when carefully illuminated, assumed almost ghostlike shapes and forms. The idea was to use technology to create the illusion that the audience, in March in Gothenburg, would suddenly find themselves transfered to the rainforests of Borneo or Brazil. The cramped room, where the fog sometimes got so thick that the hand was hardly visible only a few centimeters away from the face, created mixed emotions among the audience. Some were enthusiastic and felt aroused, revived; others felt discomfort and wanted to get out of the room right away.
The Light and the Fog turned into a work in progress that stirred different emotions, while also focusing on light in a broader socio-economic context. In another part of this provisional venue, people were introduced to Little Sun – a solar LED lamp designed and constructed by artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen. Little Sun is also a project aiming at spreading clean, reliable and cheap lighting to the more than one billion people lacking access to electricity.
The Light and the Fog is a good example of Creativity Unlimited's ambition to let technology interact with artistic visions and ideas to create innovative and alternative experiences. In this case with the joint purpose of calling attention to an important humanitarian issue.
The Light and the Fog was produced in cooperation with:
Chalmers University of Technology
Ahlsell Sverige Sibe International
With the support of Wallenstam Fastigheter
To learn more about Olafur Eliasson, visit his page on Artsy.net
