Threshold

Minus Two Edition

Threshold

Iris Magnusson

Threshold is a light installation that transforms an abandoned industrial space into an immersive environment where natural and artificial light merge, creating a liminal zone between the built world and the sky.

Working in a decommissioned power station in Berlin's Oberschöneweide district, Magnusson created a large-scale light installation that responded in real time to the changing conditions of the sky outside. Sensors on the roof measured light intensity, color temperature, and cloud cover, feeding this data to a system of LED panels and reflective surfaces inside the building.

The result was a space where the interior light constantly shifted to mirror the exterior conditions, but translated through Magnusson's aesthetic sensibility. Overcast skies produced soft, diffuse interiors; direct sunlight created sharp geometric patterns on the walls; sunset transformed the space into a warm, amber-toned cathedral of light.

Interior view — overcast afternoon
Interior view — overcast afternoon - Iris Magnusson

Visitors reported losing their sense of whether they were inside or outside, experiencing a dissolution of the boundary between architecture and atmosphere that is at the heart of Magnusson's practice. The installation was open from dawn to dusk, with many visitors returning multiple times to experience different weather conditions.

The project demonstrated how technology could be used not to dominate nature but to amplify our perception of it, creating a heightened awareness of the subtle, continuous changes in light that normally pass unnoticed.

Sunset light transformation
Sunset light transformation - Iris Magnusson
Roof sensor array detail
Roof sensor array detail - Iris Magnusson

Iris Magnusson

Iris Magnusson is an Icelandic light artist and architect whose work explores the threshold between natural and artificial light. Her installations transform spaces using carefully calibrated lighting systems that respond to environmental conditions, creating immersive environments where the boundaries between inside and outside dissolve. Magnusson has exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery, the Louisiana Museum, and the Reykjavik Art Museum.

Iris Magnusson