Versailles’ surreal waterfall in the sky

Updated At : 06:06 AM Jun 09, 2016 IST

‘Waterfall’ installation by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson in the gardens of the Chateau de Versailles, southern Paris. afp

The massive waterfall seemingly gushing from a rupture in space-time is a centerpiece of a new exhibit in and around the Palace of Versailles by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, whose artworks often play with natural elements such as water and light
Cascading from high above the surface of the pool, the waterfall installation appears as a torrent of water of with no discernible source when viewed from the front steps of the palace
To achieve the floating 'fall effect', Eliasson used a crane, hose and a pump system
The gushing water conceals a latticed tower built from yellow steel girders, which become apparent to audiences as the view the installation from its sides
Water is pumped through a system of pipes to emerge from a platform at the top of the tower
The installation is partly influenced by 15th-16th century French monarch Louis XIV's landscape architect André Le Notre, who had planned an ambitious water feature for the garden that was never realised
Running from 7 June to 30 October 2016, the exhibition features three outdoor works themed around water and several architectural interventions indoors