CC's ‘Light & Space’ references the American art movement of the 1960s

‘Light & Space’, an ethereal exhibition comprising artistic installations that double as luminaires, is currently on display at the Denmark based design gallery, Copenhagen Contemporary. The gigantic installations that dot the expansive halls of the welding facility-turned-exhibition-space offer an immersive and interactive experience to its visitors. Spread over an area of 5,000 square metres, the showcases reference the American art movement through works of both historical and contemporary artists sitting next to each other. Spread across five halls, the exhibition route culminates in the gallery’s interactive laboratory where visitors can play and experiment with light, colour and space to create something new.

Artworks created by the likes of renowned creatives such as James Turrell, Doug Wheeler, Robert Irwin and Bruce Nauman amongst others are featured alongside creations by contemporary European artists like Anish Kapoor, Olafur Eliasson and Jeppe Hein within the gallery. A truly spectacular piece by Robert Irwin that is 16 metre wide and 8 metre tall and is illuminated by 115 fluorescent tubes commands a strong presence in the immersive exhibition hall. “My ambition is, in a sense, to make you see a little bit more tomorrow than you saw today,” says Robert Irwin about his massive showcase.

Some of the other installations that dot the spaces of the gallery include a light-absorbing void by Anish Kapoor, a sculptural landscape created out of sand mounds by Connie Zehr, Doug Wheeler’s 20 metre dome-shaped installation that attempts to blur spatial boundaries, enormous glass cubes that reference fog rolling over the Venice Beach by Larry Bell and James Turrell’s incandescent and immersive installation that ejects a futuristic vibe. These artistic creations, while unique and innovative in their own right, appear more layered, interesting and dynamic due to experimentation around light art.

Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, Copenhagen Contemporary is a space that invites creatives and design enthusiasts alike to showcase their work and engage with the displayed installations respectively. Its large halls offer a chance to not only showcase both small and large scale installations, but to also host interactive exhibitions, film screenings or performance art installations. As an extension of their motto to serve as an inclusive and educational space, the gallery recently added the Connie Connie cafe to its premises, which features furniture designed by several up and coming designers, and thus, serves as a spot where visitors can relax and have invigorating conversations surrounded by artistic creations.

A lot of installations that populate the gallery are works created by designers and artists as a response to the American light and installation art movement that gained traction in American cities, especially Los Angeles, in the 1960s. These experimentations that revolved around light and new materials, available due to the newer explorations of space and light after World War II, were artistic responses to Hollywood, spirituality and the surf culture found in the sunny city of Los Angeles. Although worked upon by different artists in isolation, these creations became part of the Light and Space movement and were guided by the theme of drawing the focus away from objects and towards the relationship of art and space with one’s body.

The showcases that form part of the art exhibition not only highlight this important movement, but also feature contemporary creations that have been influenced by this 20th century experimental movement and that transcend the boundaries accredited to traditional and Eurocentric art. In doing so, it offers a view of the unique and oft overlooked relationship between light and space.

The ‘Light & Space’ exhibition will remain on display from 3 December 2021 to 4 September 2022 at Copenhagen Contemporary in Denmark, Copenhagen.