Carsten Höller, Aventura Slide Tower

LOWER LEVEL

Carsten Höller

The work of German artist Carsten Höller, the Aventura Slide Tower is a soaring 93-foot tall steel and glass structure, simultaneously whimsical, striking, and immersive. Höller, a key player within the Relational Aesthetics movement and one of Germany’s most acclaimed conceptual artists, is known for prioritizing social context and sensory experiences over object-based art.
To this end, Höller notes that slides are not merely "a means of transportation, but also a tool for introducing a moment of real madness into daily life…” He adds, “The emotional state created by traveling down the slide is a unique condition and was once described by the French writer Roger Caillois as ’‘a kind of voluptuous panic upon an otherwise lucid mind.’”
But powerful sensory experiences are not limited to those who plunge down the 9-storeyed slide; viewers are also engaged in the breathtaking thrill of the moment. Eliciting these visceral emotions, the artwork connects participants and viewers, drawing them into a dimension of unfettered fun.
In his quest to promote delight and joy through art, Höller draws inspiration from carnivals, zoos and playgrounds. His large-scale installations have been exhibited in such distinguished institutions as London’s Tate Modern and New York’s Guggenheim Museum, and include his acclaimed Flying Machine, Test Site, and Amusement Park.

The Aventura Slide Tower is currently closed for the season and will be reopening this Fall.