TOP 10 large scale art installations of 2014

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From a sea of 888,000 ceramic poppies spilling from the tower of London, to a towering underwater sculpture, and a digital artwork spanning the ceiling of Rotterdam’s Markthal, 2014 saw a number of large scale installations completed around the globe. all of the work is monumental in scale, engaging audiences in a memorable and engaging experience. continuing our annual review of the year’s BIG stories, we take a look at the top 10 installations that caught our eye in 2014.

fujiko nakaya wraps the glass house in a veil of dense fog

the renowned glass house designed by architect philip johnson in 1949 was engulfed in a dense and ghostly layer of fog, as part of an installation staged by japanese artist fujiko nakaya. ‘veil’ is the first site-specific project to engage the historic structure, which occupies a vast promontory overlooking a valley in connecticut, USA. the sheet of hazy mist comes and goes: for approximately 10 minutes each hour, the monolithic transparent residence seemingly vanished, only to return to sight as the fog slowly dissolved in space. situated within the building, the sense of being outdoors was temporarily suspended during the cloudy spells. the opaque atmosphere produced by the fog sculpture met the building’s extreme transparency and temporal effects that complement its timelessness.

888,246 ceramic poppies infill the tower of london for remembrance day

remembrance day, taking place each year on november 11th, marks the end of the first world war and honors the commonwealth armed forces who have died in the line of duty. as symbol of this sacrifice and service, artist paul cummins and stage designer tom piper infilled the famous dry moat at the tower of london with 888,246 ceramic poppies, spilling out from a window onto the vast grassy expanse that divides the historic site from the city center. ‘blood swept lands and seas of red‘ comprised red-hued flowers installed in the landscape by a team of over 8,000 volunteers, each one representing a british military fatality during the war.
 

olafur eliasson layers riverbed within louisiana museum of modern art

for the first time, danish-icelandic artist olafur eliasson presents a solo show at denmark’s prestigious louisiana museum of modern art, placing three spatial installations within the architectural context of the site. like many of the exhibitions presented throughout his creative career, eliasson’s ‘riverbed’ is site-specific, engaging with the cultural institution’s unique identity, thematically linking the artworks and gallery as a place — physically, structurally and historically. radical interventions delve into the reality of the space as an institution, and at the same time focus on local sensory experiences as part of a global perspective. ‘riverbed’ unfolds throughout the south wing of the gallery in one great sweep. a surface of rocks canvasses the floors, creating a terrain for a stream of water winding through the interior. the piece places an alternative path to the one already anticipated by the architecture: visitors are transported from the typical walk across a tile floor, to steps on top of loose terrain, and finally a course along a river. the installation acts as a direct reference to the history of the site — louisiana’s south wing was added in 1982 on a slope that used to be home to a sculpture garden.

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