Visit Here: James Turrell's "Gathered Sky"

Vincent R. Vinci, Contributing Editor | Dec 11, 2024 5:30 pm | Add a comment | 50 reads

From far-flung places in our Take the Subway series, we move closer to the city center for a look at a few spots that we think, while they may not be on any Beijing top sights lists, are definitely worth going out of your way to visit.

This week, we turn from the ancient to the contemporary, from tradition to art with…

**James Turrell’s Gathered Sky Installation**

This art installation, which was built into the Temple Dongjingyuan complex near the National Art Museum in 2012, is an experiential art piece by Los Angeles artist James Turrell that allows viewers to see shifting color through a hole in the ceiling as the sun sets, culminating with nightfall.

Why Visit?

Turrell’s art is renowned for using light – be it manmade or natural – to manipulate the viewer’s perception of each. The resulting works garner a sense of wonder and curiosity in regards to the unknown. Turrell has built permanent installations from big cities like Houston to the middle of the Painted Desert in Arizona, and the fact that there’s one permanently here in Beijing makes it an all the more meaningful visit.