This immersive installation by Icelandic–Danish artist Olafur Eliasson is presented in a darkened room. A line of fine nozzles hanging from the ceiling stretches horizontally across the space, releasing a continuous, delicate mist of tiny water droplets. The mist falls in a thin vertical sheet, forming a soft veil that extends from above head height down to the floor. 

A bright spotlight is angled towards the mist, illuminating the falling water. The delicate shower of water shimmers like a curtain, alive with subtle shifts of colour. From some positions, the light and mist intersect to create a vivid rainbow. As audiences move around the space, they see the ‘spray bow’ brighten, fade or vanish altogether. The spectrum of colours hovers in the mist; never fixed, always changing in response to fluctuations of light and visitors’ movements.

A faint hiss can be heard as water is released from the nozzles, as well as the gentle patter of fine droplets landing on the ground. The gallery floor has holes that allow the water to drain away. The air feels cool and slightly damp, carrying the sensation of moisture, and visitors who reach out can also feel the fine spray of water on their skin. 

Within the surrounding darkness, elements that produce the rainbow can be seen: the spotlight, spray heads and the water supply line. The work brings together light, water and movement, creating an encounter that is precise in construction yet fleeting in appearance.

Feature image: Olafur Eliasson / Beauty 1993, installed at GOMA for 'Presence', December 2025 / Spotlight, water, nozzles, wood, hose, pump / Purchased 2025. The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Charitable Trust / Collection: The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Charitable Trust, QAGOMA / © 1993 Olafur Eliasson / Photograph: N Umek, QAGOMA