Renowned artist Olafur Eliasson is set to unveil his latest installation, Your Daylight Destination, in Silecroft, England. The piece, commissioned by the Copeland Borough Council, will reflect the sky when the tide is low, with a 98-foot-long steel basin set into the beach acting as an “elongated pool”. When the tide is high, the basin will be concealed, but as the water recedes, the vessel will fill with water that reflects the sky above, which will be viewable from a platform designed for visitors to look into this mirror of a sort.
Your Daylight Destination will be staged in collaboration with writer Robbie Macfarlane, who has previously worked with Eliasson. The council had previously held a competition for the commission, with artists like Rachel Whiteread and Roger Hiorns among those up for consideration. Eliasson expressed his delight in realizing the contemplative artwork for Copeland, describing it as a “humble reflection of what is already there” that invites self-discovery in a deep-time perspective.
Eliasson’s previous pieces in the UK have attracted crowds, with a reported 2 million people visiting his 2003 piece, The Weather Project, for which the artist created an installation of mist and a luminous sun inside Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall. The new piece is also expected to draw significant crowds and boost tourism in the area. Mike Starkie, the mayor of Copeland, stated that “the piece will also be a driver for tourism,” and that local businesses will likely benefit from the increased attraction to the area, alongside other investments made as part of the Connecting Cumbria’s Hidden Coast project.
Overall, Your Daylight Destination promises to be another expansive installation from Olafur Eliasson, evocative of meteorological conditions and inviting visitors to engage with the natural environment in a contemplative way. Its location on the coastline of Silecroft, England, and its reflection of the sky during low tide, offers a unique and immersive experience for visitors to the area.