American artist James Turrell has long made light his primary medium to encourage us to sharpen our senses to the world around us. He is best known for his series of Skyspaces, minimalist experiences centred around apertures that frame the ever-changing sky. The first – produced in 1974 and on permanent loan to Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano from the Guggenheim Museum – is a square room with a large square opening in the ceiling, in which the sky is framed by a small slither of white ceiling. The low, concealed fluorescent lights and white floor reflect and intensify the experience.

“With no object, no image and no focus, what are you looking at?” Turrell once asked. “You are looking at you looking. What is important to me is to create an experience of wordless thought.”

Over the years, Turrell has created nearly 90 Skyspaces around the world, with one set to be unveiled in Kansas City in 2024. They recall ancient building techniques that used natural light—and the cycles of the cosmos—to create symbolic architecture. As the clocks change and the days get longer, it feels fitting to channel the Arizona-based artist this week and look at the sky anew.

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