Carsten Höller: Pink Mirror Carousel
A hot pink carousel appears in the snow-covered landscape of St. Moritz as part of an installation by German-Belgian artist Carsten Höller. Set within the grounds of the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz, the work introduces a vivid chromatic contrast to the surrounding Alpine environment, its mirrored surfaces reflecting both the white scenery and the movement of visitors.
Titled Pink Mirror Carousel (2025), the installation is positioned on the hotel’s ice rink, opposite the Kulm Country Club. At first glance, it resembles a traditional amusement ride associated with childhood and leisure. However, Höller reconfigures this familiar form into a sculptural device that alters expectations of motion, duration, and participation.
Unlike a conventional carousel, which rotates rapidly, this structure is engineered to complete a full rotation every two minutes. The upper section turns counterclockwise, while the middle section rotates in the opposite direction. This slow and opposing movement transforms the ride into a precise time-based mechanism, encouraging stillness and awareness rather than excitement. Visitors who step onto the carousel become active components of the work, both observing and being observed through the reflective pink panels.
The carousel functions as a recurring motif within Höller’s broader artistic practice, where such structures serve as tools for perceptual disruption. By modifying speed and direction, the artist challenges habitual experiences of time and motion, creating situations that blur the boundaries between artwork, viewer, and performer.
Höller describes the work as a sculpture animated by human presence, where mechanical rotation intersects with biological time. The installation privileges contemplation over entertainment, offering an experience that may unsettle expectations while inviting reflection on perception, embodiment, and being.
Pink Mirror Carousel aligns with Höller’s ongoing exploration of participatory environments and perceptual experiments, extending his investigation into how simple mechanisms can generate complex psychological and temporal experiences.
