James Turrell to open largest Skyspace at Denmark museum

Renowned Light and Space artist James Turrell is set to open his most ambitious Skyspace installation to date at Denmark's ARoS Aarhus Art Museum on June 19, 2026, marking the completion of a decade-long project that has faced significant delays and technical challenges.news.artnet+3

The monumental work, titled "As Seen Below – The Dome," will measure 16 meters high and 40 meters in diameter—roughly the size of Rome's Pantheon dome—making it the largest Skyspace ever built within a museum setting. The installation opens strategically on the summer solstice, continuing Turrell's tradition of aligning his works with celestial events.theartnewspaper+3

A Journey Through Light and Space

Visitors will access the installation through a 120-meter underground light-filled tunnel that connects the main museum to the partially subterranean expansion called "The Next Level". The experience guides guests through a series of galleries before arriving at the spectacular domed chamber, where Turrell's signature LED lighting will wash the space while a circular aperture frames the Danish sky above.aros+3

"With As Seen Below, I'm shaping the experience of seeing rather than delivering an image," Turrell stated. "The architecture holds the sky close, so you recognize that the act of looking is the work itself. Here, light isn't description, it's the substance you stand within".news.artnet+1

Overcoming Technical Setbacks

The €40 million expansion project, designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, has encountered several obstacles since its initial 2015 announcement. Originally scheduled to open in 2020, then 2023, the installation was delayed due to financial constraints and technical difficulties, including the bankruptcy of the supplier responsible for the dome's specialized lid earlier this year.news.artnet+1

"The chosen solution with a specially designed lid is an integral part of the artwork and developed in close collaboration with James Turrell's studio," explained ARoS director Rebecca Matthews. The museum's Salling Gallery, part of the same expansion, opened successfully in June 2025 with British artist Jenkin van Zyl's exhibition "Lost Property".aros+2

At 82, Turrell continues working on his legendary Roden Crater project in Arizona while expanding his Skyspace series globally, which now includes around 90 installations across 26 countries. The Denmark installation represents his largest museum-based Skyspace and adds to his growing influence in contemporary art's dialogue between natural phenomena and human perception.artnews+1