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Olafur Eliasson: Public art made virtual

Download the imagination of the Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson on to a street near you using augmented reality

The Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson is celebrated for his playful and tactile works, from shining suns to melting ice installations. Yet with so many galleries closed in lockdown, he鈥檚 turning his attention to augmented reality. It鈥檚 now possible to download the imagination of the environmental artist to a street near you, via an app. But is it as good as the real thing? Reporter Anna Bailey pressed download and spoke to Olafur to find out.

Public art has long been the preserve of men but feminist artists Nikki Luna from the Philippines and Bahia Shehab in Egypt challenge the patriarchy, by taking up space on the street and online. Nikki Luna鈥檚 audio-visual installations confront gender-based violence with the voices of marginalised women, while Bahia Shehab鈥檚 street art foregrounds the female form and addresses consent.

Mexican-American portrait artist Aliza Nisenbaum gives us a glimpse of the private moments behind public service. She talks to Nawal about why her latest project honours healthcare workers at the frontline of the battle against coronavirus.

Plus, we hear how a group of artists have been inspired to create a giant painting that highlights growing insecurity and political instability in Nigeria.

Presenter: Nawal Al-Maghafi

(Image: Olafur Eliasson, Caring Northern Light and Lucky Stone. Augmented reality. Courtesy of the artist and Acute Art.)

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Mon 1 Feb 2021 10:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 30 Jan 2021 05:32GMT
  • Sat 30 Jan 2021 17:06GMT
  • Sun 31 Jan 2021 00:06GMT
  • Sun 31 Jan 2021 05:32GMT
  • Mon 1 Feb 2021 10:06GMT

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