Artist Olafur Eliasson has been commissioned to build a 98-foot installation mirroring sea and sky along the Silecroft coastline in England.
Titled ‘Your Daylight Destination’, the project will be a 98-foot-long steel basin that will be installed along the coastline of Silecroft. On a high tide, the basin will be covered with water; but on a low tide, the steel basin will reflect the sky above. A platform near the basin will allow viewers to peek inside the installation during the day.
The Copeland Borough Council has commissioned the project. An open competition by the city council led to submissions by artists like Roger Hiorns and Rachel Whiteread; however, Olafur Eliasson was selected. Eliasson is famous for his projects that evoke natural phenomena and meteorological conditions. His 2003 work, ‘The Weather Project’, was an installation that mimicked mist and sun. Installed at the Tate Modern, it has been visited by more than 2 million people since its inception.
The public appeal of his work was perhaps why he was chosen, as the city is trying to build a tourist attraction to increase footfall in the town. Mike Starkie (Mayor, Copeland) said: “The piece will also be a driver for tourism—I am sure people will come here to experience our coast in this unique way, and also discover the delights of this ‘secret’ corner of the county. The hope is that local businesses will see a boost from this attraction, and all the other investment we’ve delivered as part of the Connecting Cumbria’s Hidden Coast project.”
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Speaking about his selection, Olafur Eliasson said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to realise this contemplative artwork for Copeland. In a sense, it is a humble reflection of what is already there—the beach, the water, the sky, the plants and animals—reframed within a space that invites self-discovery in a deep-time perspective.”
