In a world dominated by speed, sharp images, and the immediacy of consumerism, Olafur Eliasson invites us to pause, breathe, and look beyond appearances. With Lifeworld, his latest site-specific piece commissioned by CIRCA, the Danish-Icelandic artist offers a new way of perceiving urban public space.
From October 1st until December 31st, every evening at 20:24, the advertising billboards of Piccadilly Circus in London, Times Square in New York, K-Pop Square in Seoul, and Limes Kurfürstendamm in Berlin abandon their usual ads, becoming the starting point for both an intimate and collective reflection.
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“Lifeworld” appears as a visual pause, a suspension in the continuous flow of images and slogans that flood our urban lives. A blurred shape with soft edges and shifting colors replaces advertisements urging us to desire, buy, and move incessantly. What may initially seem like a disorienting image subtly invites us to observe the world with fresh eyes, to slow down, and to reconnect with our inner space.
This “precise blur,” as Eliasson describes it, is the result of eight months of work in which the artist and his studio meticulously calibrated every detail to soften the city’s hard lines and dissolve perceptual boundaries. The result is a “nebulous mirror” reflecting a more genuine reality, distant from the certainties imposed by spaces dedicated to consumption and work. “Lifeworld” doesn’t merely present an image but proposes a sensory and psychological experience: a space to break free from commercial expectations and rediscover a deep connection with the environment and oneself.
Olafur Eliasson has long explored the role of public art as a tool for both social and individual reflection. For him, reclaiming public space means restoring its human and relational potential, disrupting the routine of urban individualism. In an era dominated by technology, “Lifeworld” manages to cut through the coldness of digital circuits with a profoundly human message.
This project, commissioned by CIRCA, reflects the organization’s commitment to public art as a vehicle for global reflection, promoting the intersection of art, technology, and social engagement. With nightly projections, CIRCA transforms advertising screens into places of cultural dialogue, challenging the boundaries of conventional art. The goal is simple yet powerful: to invite the public to pause, contemplate, and rediscover the value of shared space.
