Ólafur Elíasson works with elemental materials such as light, water, air and temperature. In Munich, you can discover his art without paying entrance fees: The Icelandic-Danish artist is represented here with impressive works in public space.
The eight-tonne spiral ball Sphere in the downtown shopping centre Fünf Höfe is not to be missed: if you stand below it and look up, you are looking into a distinct space, the interior of the ball. Ólafur Elíasson wanted this work to symbolise the interconnectedness of our world.
Location: Fünf Höfe, Theatinerstrasse 15, 80333 München
Wirbelwerk is the title of the spectacular spiral that Ólafur Elíasson has created for the atrium of the new Lenbachhaus art museum. The gemstone-like kaleidoscopic sculpture spirals down from the ceiling. The work is made up of approximately 450 coloured glass and metal platelets, which reflect the light onto the surrounding walls in bright spots.
Location: Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Luisenstrasse 33, 80333 München
For the new German headquarters of auditors KPMG in the Westend, Elíasson designed an up-and-down pair of staircases, endlessly cycling in double helix form. The sculpture is also known as “Endless Staircase“.
Location: Ganghoferstrasse 29, 80339 München
His “Bühnenfenster“ on the rehearsal building of the Bayerische Staatsoper (State Opera) on Marstallplatz reflects the sky, the building, the square as well as the people on the square, creating a dialogue between reality and illusion. “I've tried to make it possible to experience this public space more intensely,“ commented Ólafur Elíasson, talking about his work.
Location: Probengebäude am Marstallplatz, Marstallplatz 5, 80539 München
With the living moss wall on the façade of Munich Re (insurance company) Elíasson brings nature directly into the day-to-day working life of the company's employees. The Italian tufa stone was injected with mosses from Brittany. As the seasons pass, the plants change colour and therefore so does the façade.
Location: Gedonstrasse 8, 80802 München, near Englischer Garten
