Gagosian, At One
A visit to At One, which brings together rare installations, sculptures, and prototypes by James Turrell (b. 1943), feels like a modern pilgrimage. Those willing to venture to Gagosian’s outpost in Dugny, located in a suburban hangar, will discover the artist’s largest European exhibition in 25 years, open from October 14 to summer 2025. More than a tribute to a lifetime of creation, At One reflects Turrell’s undiminished creative energy at 81 and his unwavering interest in light as a medium, subject, and object of contemplation.
The terms “sculpture” or “installation” seem insufficient to describe Turrell’s work, which transcends the object to offer meditative and immersive experiences. While his style has been widely emulated and his pieces are found in locations as diverse as Kendall Jenner’s home in Los Angeles and a private school in Manhattan, Turrell remains detached from the idea of personal branding. His career, spanning over half a century, is driven by a quest for what he calls “the nature of light” and its capacity to connect us to the sublime. As the artist explains, his aim is to create situations where he “takes you and lets you see,” transforming his work into a deeply personal experience for each viewer.
Turrell’s creations defy classification. His holograms, seamlessly integrated into their environment, blur the line between architecture and object, interior and exterior. Each work, like Either Or (2024), immerses viewers in a multisensory experience akin to diving into the depths of the ocean. Some installations combine synthetic elements, like concrete, with natural light sources to create unique environments. For instance, Meeting at MoMA PS1 in New York directs the gaze toward an unobstructed sky through carefully modified architecture. Turrell places great importance on visual clarity: in 2019, he temporarily closed this installation when nearby construction disrupted the view, insisting that the perspective be restored before reopening.
The At One exhibition also reveals sketches, plans, and photographs documenting Turrell’s monumental work on the Roden Crater, a project he has been pursuing since the 1970s in the Arizona desert. This monumental site, which will include 24 observation spaces and six tunnels, is designed to transform light and sky into a work of art. Inspired by the structures of Mayan, Egyptian, and Incan civilizations, the Roden Crater will serve as a portal to the infinite sky. By presenting preparatory materials for this project, the exhibition showcases Turrell’s ambition while translating an extraordinary work into an accessible gallery format. These archives, filled with optimism and determination, underscore that the artist’s epic career is still unfolding.
At One is thus both a tribute to Turrell’s remarkable journey and an inspiring glimpse of what lies ahead.