Olafur Eliassons (born in 1967 in Copenhagen) project light lab, extending over two years, consists of 18 different installations. Even before the actual move of Portikus into its new domicile, Eliasson presented the first work of the series - an arc of orange light (light lab, test 1) in April 2006 However, the work itself is invisible from the inside of the building it is only after dawn and through the northern side of the roof, which is fully glazed, that it can be viewed. This work is rather a form of interaction with the architectural conditions of the new exhibition hall, which is utterly exposed floating over the river, than a singular piece of art. Eliasson reclaims the completely glazed truss in order to render it transparent and present at the same time.

The project is supported by Siteco.

PERMANENT ARTWORK
Ólafur Elíasson
Light lab (1/12), 2006
From the series Light lab, 2006–2008
Light installation
Monofrequency lights, wood
7.06 × 14.6 m

Collection of the MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST
Acquired with the generous support of Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen
Restored in 2021 with the generous support of the Wüstenrot Stiftung

Ólafur Elíasson’s Light lab is a permanent light installation that has shaped the glass gable roof of Portikus since its move to the Maininsel in 2006. At dusk (from 7:30pm until 11pm), a luminous arc appears on the north side, its reflection in the River Main evoking a setting sun. Originally conceived as the series Light Lab (1–12), the work changed twelve times over the first two years, each in a different color spectrum. Today, it radiates a deep yellow hue (Light Lab, Test 1) and has become a distinctive landmark of Frankfurt. The work unites Eliasson’s ongoing interest in light, perception, and space with a simple, poetic gesture. It invites passers-by to pause, look up, and reflect on the significance of light—both as an everyday natural phenomenon and as a resource that is not universally available.

More images: staedelschule.de/lightlab