The German artist Carsten Holler (b.1961 in Brussels) will undertake the seventh commission in "The Unilever Series" for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. The annual commission to fill the gallery's immense hall is one of the most challenging but also prestigious tasks in contemporary art. One of the most important artists of his generation, his work ranges from the purely conceptual to the elaborately architectural. Holler's works frequently require participation from the viewer to take their final form. Well used to working on a large scale, he demonstrates his central concerns which relate to human behaviour, the questioning of logic, altered states of mind and perception. Interested in mass communal experience, his explorations often involve playful elements - Holler is currently working on a version of a funfair, with the rides and music slowed down and previous architectural installations have featured slides.
Other well-known works have included Sliding Doors (2003), a series of electronic sliding doors with a mirrored surface through which the audience passes in a seemingly endless passage, and Upside-Down Mushroom Room (2000) which features enormous, fabricated red and white fly-agaric mushrooms, their stalks fixed to the ceiling, slowly rotating in a mesmerising way. This publication will consider how Holler approaches the daunting and exciting Turbine Hall, providing close examination of the creative process from inception to completion. With stunning illustration and photography throughout, this will be a fascinating record of what promises to be the most challenging commission faced by this intriguing artist.