Renowned American artist James Turrell is preparing to unveil his most ambitious Skyspace installation to date at the ARoS Aarhus Art Museum in Denmark. The massive art installation, titled "As Seen Below," will officially open to the public on June 19, 2026, marking a significant milestone in the artist's decades-long exploration of light and space.
The extraordinary installation is housed within a spectacular 40-meter-wide domed extension that sits adjacent to the existing ARoS Aarhus Art Museum. This remarkable structure forms part of a major museum expansion project led by the prestigious Danish architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects. The comprehensive expansion also includes a new underground gallery space and an outdoor exhibition area, significantly enhancing the museum's capacity and visitor experience.
Visitors approaching the Skyspace will enter through an enchanting "light-filled" underground corridor that seamlessly connects to the newly constructed Salling Gallery before guiding them through the museum's basement levels. The journey itself becomes part of the artistic experience, building anticipation as guests move toward the main installation.
At the heart of the installation stands a magnificent 16-meter-tall dome featuring a large central aperture that perfectly frames views of the Danish sky above. Turrell has designed a sophisticated lighting system that bathes the interior space in carefully orchestrated monochromatic colors, creating an ever-changing atmospheric experience that responds to both natural light conditions and the artist's programmed sequences.
"I look forward to seeing how visitors encounter and interact with this work – my largest and most ambitious Skyspace in a public museum," Turrell explained in a statement about the project. The artist emphasized his unique approach to the installation, stating, "With As Seen Below I'm shaping the experience of seeing rather than delivering an image. The architecture holds the sky close, so you recognize that the act of looking is the work itself."
The minimalist interior design reflects Turrell's signature aesthetic philosophy, featuring stepped seating that gracefully wraps around the circular space, allowing visitors to sit and contemplate the sky above. The floor showcases intricate concentric brick paving that radiates outward from a central pit, creating visual patterns that complement the overhead aperture and enhance the overall geometric harmony of the space.
Architectural renderings of the completed exterior reveal that the dome will be covered in grass, creating a natural mound that integrates harmoniously with the museum's garden landscape. The structure will be crowned by the central oculus opening, while a built-in seating area will wind around the base of the dome. The entrance to the installation will be strategically positioned to punctuate the structure's form while maintaining its sculptural integrity.
This Danish project represents just one of several major Turrell installations currently in development worldwide. The artist has also designed what he describes as a "monumental sequence of chambers" for a large-scale installation in Saudi Arabia's dramatic AlUla desert landscape. Additionally, he has created a "transcendent" Skyspace installation housed within a stone-clad structure positioned on a forested slope in Colorado, demonstrating his ability to adapt his vision to diverse geographical and architectural contexts.
The ARoS project reflects a broader trend of major museum expansions and renovations taking place internationally. Recent notable projects include a "transformative yet discreet" comprehensive overhaul of the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, England, and the innovative Taichung Green Museumbrary in Taiwan, which features an ambitious design organized across eight interconnected building blocks.
When completed next year, the As Seen Below installation will cement Turrell's reputation as one of the world's foremost artists working with light and space, while providing visitors to Denmark with an unprecedented opportunity to experience his visionary approach to art and architecture on an monumental scale.
