Wake the Great Salt Lake Announces Dates for Olafur Eliasson's Signature Commission Work Coming to Utah This Spring

Immersive light-and-sound installation invites community reflection and action around the Great Salt Lake's future - Olafur Eliasson will debut his first commissioned work in Utah and the Intermountain West in spring 2026. - His new installation, A symphony of disappearing sounds for the Great Salt Lake, is the signature commission for the Wake the Great Salt Lake public art initiative. - The artwork will premiere March 26–April 4, 2026, at Memory Grove in Salt Lake City, Utah.

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Salt Lake City Arts Council and the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office, announced the official dates for A symphony of disappearing sounds for the Great Salt Lake, the signature artwork by internationally acclaimed artist Olafur Eliasson. The large-scale sound and light installation will illuminate Memory Grove every evening from March 26 through April 4, 2026, marking the culminating experience of Wake the Great Salt Lake, a citywide public art initiative raising awareness and inspiring action around the lake's rapid decline.

Wake the Great Salt Lake is part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, which brings together cities and their leaders to develop innovative, temporary public art projects that address important civic issues in their communities. The public art activities of Wake the Great Salt Lake include 12 art projects by artists based in Salt Lake City or with Utah ties, expressing the community's concerns and hopes for the Great Salt Lake across a wide range of artistic mediums.

Spring 2026 Event Details

• Nightly Activations: Every evening from March 26 to April 4, with gates opening at 8pm, activation at 9pm
• Location: Memory Grove, Salt Lake City
• Tickets are not required, but we encourage everyone interested in attending to RSVP for full event details: wakegsl.eventbrite.com.
• A public speaking event with Olafur Eliasson will take place Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at the Salt Lake City Public Library's Nancy Tessman Auditorium. Details to come.
• Sign up for the Wake the Great Salt Lake newsletter to stay informed.

About the Artwork

A symphony of disappearing sounds for the Great Salt Lake, 2026, is a public artwork by artist Olafur Eliasson that comprises a light projection and a musical composition. The work utilizes field recordings of local animals and other natural phenomena taken from existing archives as well as new recordings. The audio is accompanied by a colorful, evolving light projection that unfurls upon the surface of a large, elevated sphere installed temporarily at Memory Grove in Salt Lake City.

By bringing the surprising sounds of the animals and the natural surroundings to urban space, Eliasson's work highlights the intertwined, more-than-human connections between Salt Lake City and its environment. The work will appeal to a wide range of audiences, including Great Salt Lake advocates, art enthusiasts, and locals of all ages.

"Environmental issues like the decline of the Great Salt Lake don't happen in a vacuum—they're part of broader conversations about stewardship, culture, and our shared future. Caring for the lake means caring for our air quality, wildlife, and the well-being of our communities. The arts help translate these complex issues into human stories that inspire people to act, and we're grateful for the collaboration of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Olafur Eliasson, and the local artists who have brought this project to life." — Felicia Baca, Director, Salt Lake City Arts Council

Approved artwork for media linked here.

About Olafur Eliasson

The works of Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson (b. 1967) explore the relevance of art in the world at large. Since 1997, his wide-ranging solo shows – featuring installations, paintings, sculptures, photography, and film – have appeared in major museums around the globe.

Eliasson is internationally-renowned for his public installations that challenge the way we perceive and co-create our environments. In 2003, he made 'The weather project', a glowing indoor sun shrouded in mist at Tate Modern's Turbine Hall in London. In 2008, Eliasson constructed four expansive artificial waterfalls along the Manhattan and Brooklyn shorelines for 'The New York City Waterfalls'. He has also explored art's potential to address climate change: for 'Ice Watch', he brought large blocks of free-floating glacial ice to the city centres of Copenhagen in 2014, Paris in 2015, and London in 2018. Passers-by could touch fragments of the Greenlandic glacial ice and witness its fragility as it disappeared before them. On the occasion of the 2020 German Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Eliasson created 'Earth Speakr' together with children around the world and support from the German Federal Foreign Office; the global artwork invites kids to speak up for the planet. In 2024, Eliasson broadcast 'Lifeworld' on screens in iconic public spaces around the world, including Piccadilly Circus; Time Square; and K-Pop Square, Seoul. Commissioned by CIRCA, the short, blurred sequences transported passers-by into a space of uncertainty unlike the highly defined city spaces they are used to.

Located in Berlin, Studio Olafur Eliasson comprises a large team of craftspeople, architects, archivists, researchers, administrators, cooks, art historians, and specialised technicians.

About Wake the Great Salt Lake

Wake the Great Salt Lake is a temporary public art project that aims to educate and inspire residents and visitors to understand and prevent the further decline of the Great Salt Lake. The project is a partnership of the Salt Lake City Arts Council, the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office, and is part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge with additional support from Kem and Carolyn Gardner, the Marcia and John Price Family Foundation, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Zions Bank, Shaelene Gee, the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, Lawrence T. Janet T. Dee Foundation, Diane and Sam Stewart Family Foundation, Delta Air Lines, GFiber, and other funders. For more information, please visit wakegsl.org

About Salt Lake City Arts Council

The Salt Lake City Arts Council promotes, presents, and supports artists, arts organizations, and arts activities in order to further the development of the arts community and to benefit the public by expanding awareness, access, and participation. For more information, please visit saltlakearts.org

About the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office

Mayor Erin Mendenhall is the mayor of Salt Lake City, the capital and most populous city in Utah, the fastest-growing state in the country. As the hub of the economy, the arts, and sports for the region, Salt Lake City is committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative, and sustainable community. With a focus on quality of life, Salt Lake City continues to be a destination for both residents and visitors alike, having hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and welcoming the world again for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. An elected mayor, who serves as the chief executive, and seven part-time City Council members govern the City. For more information, visit slc.gov.

About the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Public Art Challenge

The Bloomberg Philanthropies' Public Art Challenge brings together cities and their leaders, residents, and artists to develop temporary public art projects that address important civic issues in their communities. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies invited U.S. cities with 30,000 residents or more to apply for up to $1 million in funding to create temporary public art projects that address important civic issues and demonstrate an ability to generate public-private collaborations, celebrate creativity and urban identity, and strengthen local economies. More than 150 cities from 40 U.S. states applied. Bloomberg Philanthropies selected eight winning cities, including Salt Lake City, to develop projects focused on local challenges. Since launching in 2014, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge has spurred more than $100 million in economic benefits for participating cities and action across a range of civic issues. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org.

About Elle Marketing and Events

Elle Marketing and Events is a full-service boutique marketing, branding, and event company. Our team of experts tells the story behind your business through powerful copywriting, beautiful images, strong branding, creative design, social media, videography, photography, and strategic events

Press Contact:

Lydia Martinez
801.900.6618
https://www.ellemarketingandevents.com

SOURCE Wake the Great Salt Lake