Carsten Holler surprised audiences and critics from the start with his sculptures and instalations, most of them having monumental proportions, which not only brought him his fame, but also a lot of admirers. In this new exhibition the main source of artistic inspiration was the childhood memory of sliding in a park, on a summers day. Like in many other areas, the bigger the better, so Holler created for the event at Tate Gallery a huge instalation of slides, several stories high, which is not only a work of art, made out of steel and glass, but also an instalation of perfectly functional slides. So Holler's new creations are both sculptures, in a modern style, and huge toys. Those who have already seen the instalation seem to be quite impressed by it, as they can ride the slides over and over again, free of charge, as long as they have the patience to wait in line.
For Carsten Holler the estetic part is no longer the most important in art, as he combines it with the thrill and anxiety we all had in our childhood when we rode a slider. In the past he has presented several such instalations in another museums and galleries, such as Flying Machine in 1996 or Frisbee House in 2000. But it is for the first time that he has the space to create his true vision, and the Turbine Hall in Tate Gallery seems to be the best for that. The artist has already anounced that in the future he will create even largen, maybe open air sculptures, and it wouldn't be a surprise for these to become urban arhitecture elements.
November 2006
