As we look forward to welcome everyone back to campus, we’re celebrating one of our more unusual and eye-catching art pieces at Notting Dale, Casrsten Höller’s Mirror Carousel (2005). Spanning seven metres tall and nearly five wide using a mix of steel, wood and bulbs, it’s hard to miss this striking piece in the atrium of The Yellow Building.
Belgian-born artist Höller’s interactive moving piece is a perfect example of his experimental style. His works offer ‘a space and time where you can try things you can’t try otherwise’. The carousel is in working order and with its mirrored surfaces and ‘5-minute-a-turn cycles, participants who step up to take a ride are met with a whimsical mix of broken reflections and jarringly slow movement, creating an all-round meditative experience.
With a background in science, Höllier’s works often centre around the observation of human behaviour. This is seen clearly through the participatory aspect of many of his most celebrated works.
Perhaps one of Höller’s most famous exhibitions was the ‘Test Site’ debuted at the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in 2006. Taking advantage of the height of the space, Hollier masterminded a five working slides for people to use at their leisure with the largest being a colossal 58 metres long.
With many of his works centred around human interaction, it’s fair to say the importance of this element has never been more notable than now.
*https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/unilever-series/unilever-series-carsten-holler-test-site/carsten
https://gagosian.com/artists/carsten-holler/
