Ventilator 1997

Olafur Eliasson created "Ventilator" using a common electric fan suspended from the ceiling, transforming an ordinary object into a focal point. Eliasson, born in 1967, came of age during a period of increasing environmental awareness and globalization. Eliasson’s works often draw attention to the experiential and the relational, inviting us to reconsider our connection to the environment. "Ventilator" is a comment on climate and our impact on it. By presenting a functional fan in a gallery setting, Eliasson prompts us to think about the energy that powers the fan and the consequences of its use. This piece is an intervention, it disrupts our expectations of what art should be and where it should be found. It reflects an era questioning traditional institutions. The fan's movement creates an intimate, embodied experience, inviting us to contemplate our role in a larger ecological framework, emphasizing the emotional and ethical dimensions of our relationship with the environment.