Olafur Eliasson Notion motion

'Notion motion' by Olafur Eliasson was created in 2005 for Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. Inspired by the laws of nature, particularly the reflection of light on water, he created 'Notion motion' especially for the 1,500m2 Bodon Gallery. His work navigates between natural phenomena and technology and makes the viewer aware of his or her perception.

With the minimum of means but on a grand scale Eliasson has created a captivating presentation in which the viewer is immersed in the space. The impressive installation contains 21,000 litres of water, three lamps and 1,900 meters of plank flooring. It is available for venues across the world for visitors to immerse into it.

'Notion motion' continues Eliasson's exploration of vibrations and wave patterns triggered by the viewers of his artworks. The installation consists of three interconnected situations around a central wall that explore the interaction between light and water. The first two situations are created by a wooden walkway running the length of the space, surrounded by a water basin that continues underneath the construction. Raised planks (so called seesaws) in the walkway function as wave activators, generating ripples in the water when visitors step on them. These are projected onto the surrounding walls, visualizing the movement of the visitors around the gallery space. The third situation focuses on ripples in the pool that are created by a sponge attached to a string, which drops into the pool at regular intervals.

Eliasson plays with the concept that a conscious perception carries within it the potential for change. Many of his installations are based on the question: Where in society can we still use our senses to define our surroundings, instead of just being defined by them? The fact that, in Eliasson’s work, a direct relationship emerges between the individual/the visitor and his surroundings, means that the former becomes conscious of the possibilities for changing those surroundings. The surroundings do not play a central part, the individual does.