Olafur Eliasson's Great Salt Lake sound installation draws attention to ecological crisis

From March 26 to April 4, 2026, Olafur Eliasson unveiled his inaugural public artwork in Utah, named A symphony of disappearing sounds for the Great Salt Lake. This multimedia display was projected onto a luminous sphere three stories high in Memory Grove Park, Salt Lake City, and was part of the Wake the Great Salt Lake initiative, which included 13 installations throughout the city. Commissioned by the Salt Lake City Arts Council, the work incorporated field recordings from the Western Soundscape Archive alongside a 30-minute piece by Koreless. Each night at 9pm, it presented abstract visuals. Felicia Baca highlighted the importance of envisioning hopeful futures for the lake amidst its alarming decline due to climate change and human actions, linking local and global artists on ecological matters.