Photo: Maximilian Bühn / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Olafur Eliasson is one of those artists I'd happily stand in front of for an hour. Working with light, water, and air temperature rather than paint or bronze feels almost like cheating in the best way, turning weather itself into a medium. The New York City Waterfalls and Riverbed installations show an ambition that borders on the geological. What I respect most is that he runs Studio Olafur Eliasson in Berlin as a research lab, treating art like an experimental discipline. The Icelandic-Danish heritage feels fitting too, given how much his work draws on northern elements and raw natural phenomena.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ólafur Elíasson
- Name (Japanese)
- オラファー・エリアソン
- Reading
- おらふぁー・えりあそん
- Born
- February 5, 1967 (age 59)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Goat
- Origin
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Occupation
- visual artist / sculptor / scenographer / photographer / installation artist
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2005 Prince Eugen Medal
- Goslarer Kaiserring
- 2010 Telenor Culture Award
- 2013 Thorvaldsen Medal
- 2014 Honorary craftsman
- Officer of Arts and Letters
- 2016 LennonOno Grant for Peace
- 2004 Eckersberg Medal
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Riverbed | — | |
| Notable work | New York City Waterfalls | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Ólafur Elíasson born?
Born February 5, 1967 (age 59).
Where is Ólafur Elíasson from?
Ólafur Elíasson is from Copenhagen, Denmark.
What does Ólafur Elíasson do?
Ólafur Elíasson works as visual artist, sculptor, scenographer, photographer, installation artist.
What is Ólafur Elíasson known for?
Notable works include Riverbed, New York City Waterfalls.
Visual artist — see all → · Sculptor — see all → · More people from Denmark →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.