Denmark: Olafur Eliasson Designs „Little Sun“ Lamps for Tivoli

A total of 33 new stylish lamps designed by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and his social business “Little Sun” are now attracting the visitors’ attention at Copenhagen’s Tivoli park, hovering among the trees along Tivoli Lake. “Little Sun Light Swarm” is the name of the project which Eliasson created in cooperation with Tivoli’s design office and lighting designer Jesper Kongshaug. Each of the lamps is composed of two identical intersecting geometric bronze frames around a tetrahedral core. Panels of dichromatic glass and polished stainless steel mirrors are set into the frames in five different combinations. In this way, it seems like the lamps would be changing colors as the passers-by move around them.

Olafur Eliasson is proud of the project: “[…] It is a space that appeals to our creativity and imagination. At the same time, Tivoli has long been conscious of our environment, with the entire park now powered by renewable energy. This is why Little Sun and I teamed up to create the ‘Little Sun Light Swarm’ lamps for Tivoli Gardens, to shine a light both in Copenhagen and in rural Africa – the proceeds from the project will go to support Little Sun’s work in remote areas of Africa, bringing solar energy to communities living off grid,” he explained.

Lars Liebst, Tivoli’s CEO, expects increasing visitor numbers: “[…] Eliasson’s international reputation is huge, and I expect many design fans among Tivoli’s future guests, not least tourists who want to experience this must-see work of art,” he said. Besides the art project, visitors to Tivoli can also enjoy the new “Demons” VR coaster taking visitors on a journey into Chinese mythology (c.f. EAP, 3/17). Furthermore, the park’s new orangery will host a series of live concerts this year and the gastronomic offer has been extended, including “Gemyse” where guests are served organic and “green” dishes. (eap)