sunburn
After Anish Kapoor's red sculpture (which reminds me of a woman's vigina), Tate gave us Olafur Eliasson's sun. I vaguely remember reading one article in Time Out in which the editor criticised the enormousness of contemporary art works in an attempt to appeal. However, Turbine Hall is THAT big, so you might as well use every inch of that space. And in most occassions, size does matter. I didn't hold any expectations to the exhibition, yet as you walk inside the building, it will just make you go 'wow'. It is this yellowish smoky glow of a giant circle embracing you, so comfortable that vistors without any invitation, may lie down, cuddle up with loved ones on the floor the whole day, all within the sun's warmth. In the case I suppose, art's purpose is not to distance but to make everyone feel at ease being part of its existence--the piece would not seem complete without the shadows of our human bodies. However, though lying in the sun's warmth, the scene is purely artificial. It is like enjoying the sun without suffering sunburn. F actually made an interesting point, saying that even the real sun might not be as beautiful. Like Japan's wacky indoor beach Ocean Dome, maybe we never have to venture out into the wilderness again?