Carsten Holler: Test Site
Jessica Morgan
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PaperbackPublication Date: March 1, 2007
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The Belgian-born artist Carsten Höller (b.1961) will undertake the seventh commission in The Unilever Series for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. This annual challenge to fill the hall's immense space is one of the most prestigious and demanding in contemporary art, and Höller's installation is certain to raise many eyebrows.
A fascinating record of this major project, Carsten Höller is also a detailed survey of the artist's entire career. Trained originally as a scientist, Höller's central concerns relate to play, communal experience, and altered states of perception. He has filmed himself under the influence of psychotropic fungi and created one piece (Solandra Greenhouse) featuring plants that release chemicals capable of inducing feelings of love. Many of his works require the participation of the viewer to achieve their complete form, often blurring the distinction between art and play. Includes dramatic installation shots and a new interview with the artist.