Led by anthropologist and PhD in lighting design Stine Louring, the research project As Seen Below – From Within will explore Turrell’s extraordinary artwork as a potentially transformative journey for our bodily and sensory states.

“Turrell has a truly unique ability to make us perceive the world anew through light and colour, and I very much look forward to our visitors experiencing this when the work has its world premiere in midsummer. The collaboration with Aalborg University and Stine Louring gives us a rare opportunity to gain deeper insight into the effects Turrell’s work may have on both body and mind, and I await the results with great interest,” says Museum Director Rebecca Matthews.

The project is based on the collection of data on visitors’ neurological and physiological responses during a visit in As Seen Below, as well as follow-up interviews focusing on their personal experiences of the artwork.

The research will examine whether a visit to Turrell’s Skyspace has an impact on mental health and experiences of connectedness.

“It is with great pleasure and intellectual curiosity that Aalborg University and I embark on this research collaboration with ARoS. Turrell’s work presents a monumental opportunity to investigate the potential of light art to promote human health and wellbeing. The project will expand our knowledge of the interaction between the human body, brain and colour-illuminated spaces, while also strengthening the fundamental bridge between art and research,” says researcher Stine Louring.

An Artwork That Engages Body and Mind
James Turrell’s Skyspace will be a place for sensory experiences, but also a space where visitors can find calm, reflection and a sense of shared presence with others.

The artwork can be experienced in three different modes: Open Sky, where the artwork is encountered without artificial lighting and with an open view of the sky; Colour Shift, where the dome is sealed with an external cover and Turrell’s light and colour emerge distinctly; and Twilight, where the external cover is open and the sky is painted in intense, shifting hues that Turrell’s light amplifies and refines during the transition between day and night.

Data collection for the project has taken place in April and will also take place in autumn 2026. The data collected in April focused on the so-called Colour Shift sessions, which typically last 20 minutes and take place every two hours during museum opening hours. 

In the autumn, data collection will also include the 45–60-minute Twilight sessions, where visitors can experience the magic of the day’s first and last light.

About Stine Louring
Stine Louring is trained as an anthropologist at the University of Copenhagen and holds a PhD in lighting design from Aalborg University. She has researched the interaction between humans and physical environments for more than ten years, with a particular focus on healing architecture, art, colour and light. Her research bridges methodological and theoretical approaches within sensory ethnography and neurophysiology.

Her PhD project, The Feel of Light: The Atmospheric Potential of Coloured Illuminations, explored the potential of using coloured lighting in healthcare environments and was completed in 2021.

The research project As Seen Below – From Within runs from 1 February 2026 to 1 September 2027, and findings will be disseminated on an ongoing basis through scie ntific publications and participation in public art and cultural events.

About ARoS’ Museum Expansion
As Seen Below, together with the subterranean exhibition space Salling Gallery, which opened in June 2025, and a new public Art Square, which opened in March 2026, marks the culmination of ARoS’ long-term vision The Next Level.

The Next Level has been realised with generous support from the Salling Foundations, the New Carlsberg Foundation, Aarhus Municipality, ARoS, and a private anonymous donation.

Press images can be downloaded via Dropbox and may be used freely with appropriate credit.

For further information, please contact:
ARoS Press and Communications
presse@aros.dk 
+45 61904942