James Turrell and the monumental Skyspace at ARoS Aarhus
Published on 08/28/2026 at 13:04 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
James Turrell anchors a new chapter for ARoS Aarhus Art Museum with his vast Skyspace As Seen Below - The Dome. The permanent installation opened to the public on June 19, 2026 as ARoS and architect Schmidt Hammer Lassen describe, marking the culmination of the museum’s underground Next Level expansion.
The Skyspace in Aarhus
The work As Seen Below - The Dome is installed beneath Musikhusparken in central Aarhus as the centerpiece of ARoS’s roughly 4,000-square-meter underground extension, according to the museum’s project description and Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s release.ArchDaily project report Visitors descend through a passage leading into a circular, dome-topped room where Turrell’s calibrated light programs modulate perception.
The dome reaches roughly 130 feet in diameter and more than 50 feet in height, making it Turrell’s largest Skyspace realized within a museum context, as open-access coverage notes.Colossal feature on As Seen Below At the oculus, a thin edge creates the optical effect of the sky as a flat surface, a hallmark of Turrell’s manipulation of depth and horizon.
From Skyspace series to institutional landmark
As Seen Below - The Dome marks the artist’s 100th Skyspace worldwide and his largest within a museum collection, as several open-access reports emphasize.Heni overview of the ARoS Skyspace Turrell’s Skyspaces have appeared at museums, public buildings and private sites across 26 countries, but the Aarhus dome extends the typology through sheer scale and integration with architecture.
The installation completes ARoS’s Next Level project, which has unfolded over more than two decades alongside Olafur Eliasson’s Your Rainbow Panorama on the museum roof. In this layered ensemble, Turrell’s underground work creates a counterpoint to Eliasson’s elevated ring, knitting light-based practices into the institution’s identity.
Further news and background on James Turrell
Discover additional coverage of James Turrell’s light installations, commissions and museum projects in the AD HOC NEWS archive.
The work core and practice
James Turrell is known for shaping light and space into experiential environments where perception itself becomes the medium. In Aarhus, this takes the form of a Skyspace that orchestrates dawn, dusk and programmed color sequences, aligning architectural volume with celestial change.
Across his wider practice, Turrell’s major work groups include the volcanic site project Roden Crater, the Ganzfeld immersive rooms, the hologram-based Shanta pieces and numerous Skyspaces integrated into landscapes and buildings. Each series explores how sustained attention to light alters spatial and temporal awareness.
Where the artist stands now
James Turrell’s Skyspace As Seen Below - The Dome remains on permanent view at ARoS Aarhus Art Museum as part of the institution’s Next Level expansion, with the dome functioning as a long-term anchor of the museum’s collection and program.
James Turrell in overview
- Artist: James Turrell
- Medium / Genre: Installation and light art
- Born: 1943, Los Angeles, United States
- Place(s) of practice: Studios in Arizona and multiple project sites worldwide
- Active since: Late 1960s, with early light works emerging in the context of Southern California’s Light and Space movement
- Key work groups: Skyspaces, Roden Crater, Ganzfeld, Cross Cut installations
- Current/last exhibition: As Seen Below - The Dome, ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, opened June 19, 2026, permanent installation
- Major collections: ARoS Aarhus Art Museum (Aarhus), National Gallery of Australia (Canberra), Guggenheim Museum (New York), Museum of Fine Arts (Houston)
- Awards: MacArthur Fellowship (1984), National Medal of Arts (2013)
- Next date: Permanent presentation of As Seen Below - The Dome at ARoS Aarhus Art Museum within the Next Level expansion
Frequently asked questions about James Turrell
Where can visitors experience James Turrell’s Skyspace As Seen Below - The Dome?
The Skyspace As Seen Below - The Dome is permanently installed at ARoS Aarhus Art Museum in Aarhus, Denmark, as the central work of the museum’s underground Next Level expansion.
How large is James Turrell’s Skyspace at ARoS Aarhus?
The dome of As Seen Below - The Dome spans roughly 130 feet in diameter and over 50 feet in height, making it Turrell’s largest Skyspace realized within a museum context.
How does As Seen Below relate to James Turrell’s wider Skyspace series?
As his 100th Skyspace, the Aarhus installation extends a series of architectural light works in more than two dozen countries, while its scale and integration into ARoS’s expansion underscore Turrell’s role in large-scale institutional commissions.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
