THURSDAY, June 6, 2013.   A tornado was spotted somewhere near Orlando, so a warning was issued as we zoomed down the Florida Turnpike to the airport for the beginning of our voyage to Denmark. It had been raining for days in Gainesville and the world was encased in thick, moist clouds as the big Boeing climbed to 39,000 feet. Even there, we were rocked with some of the worst turbulence I’ve ever experienced. The kind that makes you wonder how long it would take to make impact. But we made it.  Whew!

We were surprised to be greeted by warm, sunny skies in Denmark. And Kastrup (Copenhagen airport) welcomed us with a few pieces of Art, both inside and out. Unfortunately, it was difficult to stop to take pictures. After leaving the airport, we found a couple of more sculptures as we drove along the beach.

Before we could get out of town for our journey to Holstebro, we came upon this:

It took some digging, but I eventually learned that they are the work of Marit Benthe Norheim and it (as a group) is called Campingwomen.  Done in 2008-09 for the European Capital of Culture Stavanger (Norway), it has been touring around in Denmark, Iceland and northern Norway ever since.

Not Art. Or is it?

Denmark consists of the Island of Zealand on the East (Copenhagen), Funen Island in the center (Odense), and Jutland to the West (Aarhus), which is a peninsula connected to Germany and reaches up toward the crotch of Norway and Sweden.  It took us four hours to drive all the way across to HOLSTEBRO near the West coast.  We were staying with Helle Freya, an artist, who in addition to teaching Art to pre-k children, is a genuine Art enthusiast.

It was still light out, so we walked to the downtown pedestrian zone.  As we approached, we could not help but notice all the sculptures on street-level and on the tops of buildings as well.

Helle told us about Hans Krull and how in 2002 he assembled a team of artists and raised the money to create the many works. They were called KruKaKo (Krull, Dimitri Kaminker (Russia) and Leonid Kolibaba (Ukraine)). The project was called the Tobacco Worker’s Dream and included thirty-six bronze sculptures in all. Many utilize symbols of various cultures such as Classics, Hindu, American Indian, and, of course, Norse.

Helle Freya (on the left)

Tobacco Workers Dream by Hans Oldeau Krull

Krull at rest.

The Norse eight-legged horse was high above the Hotel Royal.  We went inside to see some of Krull’s paintings:

Nanna og Baldar by Hans Oldau Krull, 1995

To see more KruKaKo sculptures and Krull paintings, CLICK HERE.

The real story goes back to the early 1960s when Mayor Kaj K. Nielson and Municipal Director Jens Johansen decided to give Holstebro a sense of Art.  Two sculptures were purchased by the city and unveiled in 1966: Alberto Giacometti’s Woman on a Cart

and Astrid Noack‘s Kneeling Boy:

(not mine)

They purchased the Giacometti for $100,000 and took a lot of heat for it, because of the city's economic plight. But they got a deal where the national art fund paid half, but they, in turn, insisted that the city pay at least half of the installation costs, and they had to hire an Art consultant to help. Did you follow that?  This turned out well for the City as this gentleman became important to the Art museum as well.  They also established schools of Art, music, dance, and theatre in the center of town.  And there is much more to see:

St George and the Dragon by Steen Lykke Madsen

Tolv Himmelstiger by Bjørn Nørgaard

The Citizens of Holstebro by Bjørn Nørgaard, 2004

It was getting darker as we strolled about.  Even the Giacometti had been lowered into her subterranean vault for the night. Helle greeted many friends as we walked around.  She even introduced us to the current mayor, H.C. Oesterby.

And, of course, my favorite discovery, the pedal-powered bar.

The next morning we went over to Helle's storage cellar and looked at her stuff. It was filled with her paintings and some of her teacher's, as well as her Art boxes.

Afterwards, we walked over to the Museum of Art. A pleasant stroll past sculptures and the oldest building in town which is now a Museum of Miniature Art.

In front of the museum was a statue of the artist Anna Ancher to greet us. It was done by the aforementioned Astrid Noack.

The Holstebro Art Museum was founded amid the artistic resurgence of the city in the sixties.  The Danish Art Foundation suggested that the city employ an Art specialist to help with their project, so writer and art historian Poul Vad was engaged.  It was he who proposed the Giacometti purchase.

The museum opened in 1967 in the former villa of tobacco manufacturer Rasmus Faerch, under the guidance of Mr. Vad.  Inside we were soon introduced to artists we would get to know more and more during our time in Denmark: Ejler Bille, Sonja Mancoba, and Henry Heerup. We were delighted.

Symbols in Mobile Architecture by Ejler Bille, 1933

Concorde by Sonja Ferlov Mancoba, 1967

Knothole Madonna by Henry Heerup, 1942

No less so did we enjoy an exhibition called Glass At It’s Best.

The Messenger I-IV by Lene Bodker, 2013

Glassweaver Vessels 1-10 by Tobias Mohl, 2013

Blind Box by Karen Lise Krabbe, 2012

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS.

Helle then took us to another art exhibit that, it turned out, was not quite up. So we nosed around and watched the students prepare their work for the afternoon opening.

It was time to say goodbye to our new friend before we drove south to HERNING for more Art.

Birk Centerpark consists of the Carl-Henning Pedersen and Else Alfelt Museum, Herning Museum of Contemporary Art (known as HEART), the Sculpture Park, and the Geometric Gardens. The museum buildings and the gardens are all designed as circles, hence the theme Kunst i Cirkler, ‘Art in Circles’. We couldn’t find the Contemporary Art, so began with the Sculpture Park, but first there was this Anthony Gormley:

Allotment by Antony Gormley, 1995

As stated, the park was a giant circle. A tube, if you will, divided into many segments each with a sculpture.  In the large center were three cows. There were also lots of people on hand to help us enjoy the Art.

Robert Jacobsen

Henry Heerup

Willy Oskov

FOR MORE PHOTOS, CLICK HERE.

This led us to the Geometric Gardens (designed by C. Th. Soerensen), which consists of shapes made of hedges. Like 20 feet high hedges of a 2-sided line, then a triangle, square, etc.

not my picture

and I found this pic that shows both.

Quite remarkable, really. Still couldn’t find the Contemporary Art museum and we were about out of time anyway.

Havets Vooter by Carl-Henning Pedersen, 2003

Rytterstatue by Carl-Henning Pedersen, 2004

Den Seende by Carl-Henning Pedersen, 2001

The Carl-Henning Pedersen and Else Alfelt Museum was ready to close, but the woman there gave us a few minutes to take a quick look-around. It’s surprising how much you can see. You just can’t take the time to live with it.

Bird Phoenix by Carl-Henning Pedersen, 1978

The Mountains and the Rainbow by Else Alfelt, 1952

Young Bird by Carl-Henning Pedersen, 1949

The Blue Juggler by Carl-Henning Pedersen, 1974

CLICK HERE TO SEE EVEN MORE OF HIS WORK.

She also took the time to tell a few stories and answer some questions. She told us that Pedersen was from Copenhagen and wanted his museum to be built there, after he promised his collections to the State. Years went by with more and more discussion, when the mayor of Herning said that they would love to have his museum in their art park. It would be right next to the museum we couldn’t find but later found that it was the big circular building with windows on the outside and huge ceramic panels designed by Pedersen on the inside from 1966-68. He gave his stuff to Herning five years later. The museum opened in 1976 and HEART moved across the street in 2009. We thought we gave the place a good look, but saw nothing to indicate that it was an art museum.  In English, at least.

But, as I said, it was time to drive to our destination for the night: OSTEAD.  Or rather it was a little place way outside Ostead, a long stone’s throw from Randers Fjord.  Steen's Voer Færge house and cottage are thatched, partially timbered, and Skagen Yellow. At five after ten I went outside to shoot the purple shades of sky remaining after sunset.

Steen prepared scrambled eggs to go with a platter of cheeses, thin sliced ham, and vegetables, as well as yogurt with his homemade peach preserves (w/coriander) and his homemade breads.  Then it was a beautiful drive to Aarhus, past brick stables and indoor rings, castles (manor houses), and lots of fields, cows, and horses.

Rosenholm Castle

Less than hour later we were in AARHUS navigating our way through this second largest-town to just south of City Centre. We joined the Sculpture-by-the-Sea exhibition, already in progress.

Snake by Phil Price

First a little background. In June 2009 Sculpture-by-the-Sea-Aarhus was launched, under the patronage of The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark. It seems Frederick met the future Princess (Mary Donaldson of Tazmania) at a pub during the Sydney Olympics. While there he observed the Sculpture-by-the-Sea shows at Bondi Beach in Sydney.  This was the third exhibition at Aarhus, and there were more than sixty sculptures from around the world with works stretching along the beach, into the woods, and more. Some were designed to light up at night. Some were made up of sound tubes attached high up in the trees. Some were in the water. Others were in the sand, on the jetties, or on the grassy areas, or in the woods. It was a show of a variety of styles in an array of locations. Many were designed for a particular spot.

Permanent Sunrise by Alejandro Propato

Some were interactive, like going inside a booth with a mirrored interior (which drew long lines later on), or rocking an articulated pier from side to side.

A Spacious Affair From The Outside To The Inside by Mikala Valeur

Vandmodul A1 og B2 Fase 1 by Jesper Dalgaard

Others represented huge amounts of work like the many crocheted sea creatures strewn along the beach, jetty, and river bed:

 

The Surface Reef by Ulla Weber Klinge and Birgitte Lund Jensen

Here are pictures of a few more:

 Series 2 - A Yoga and Pedicure DIY Session on the Beach by Yeo Chee Kiong

Thinker by Gangadhar Mahato

 Remind by Vibeke Norgaard Ronsbo

CLICK HERE TO SEE EVEN MORE.

But we were not finished with Art in Aarhus yet. This is, after all, a city known for Art and I should note that Aarhus has been named a European Capital of Culture for 2017.  The ARos Museum, one of the sponsors of Sculpture-by-the-Sea-Aarhus is a huge contemporary structure surmounted by a colorful halo.

Inside was the ubiquitous atrium with a large spiral staircase for descending (if you’re smart). 

Each floor represented a different period with a special exhibition of Art, from the Danish Golden Age:

A Danish Coast by J.Th. Lundbye

Bertel Thorvaldsen with the Goddess of Hope by Bertel Thorvaldsen, 1839

Through the Moderns:

Rembrandt Fantasy by Henry Heerup, 1956

The Suitor by Carl-Henning Pedersen, 1950

Sankthans II by Asger Jørn, 1952

And newcomer, Richard Mortensen:

At Dawn.  A Festival of Rebirth near Cambodia by Richard Mortensen, 1975

To some International artists:

Catch (Urban Bourbon) by Robert Rauschenberg, 1993

Marilyn by Andy Warhol, 1964

 To more contemporary work:

Bevaegelig Kegleskulpture by Ib Geertsen, 1989

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE.

There was still time to walk a few short blocks to the old Kunsthaus Aarhus.

There was an exhibition by a group called Guirlanden. Here are a few of their pieces:

Detached Apparatae by Kim Gronborg, 2013

Der er langt fra siena til orange by Anne-Marie Pedersen, 2013

Vintersol i haven by Nils Ryberg, 2013

Downstairs were Final exhibitions for a few students. I’m happy for them, but nothing to write home about. Or shoot. There was this Willey Orskov out front, however:

Sort Granit fra Congo by Willy Orskov, 1977

Just across a canal from there, we found a flea market in Molle Park and wandered around looking at stuff and watching people at play.

Here is some more Kunst:

Sammentraef by Anders Gjerding Geertsen, 2009

The colors in the sky following sunset that night were very different from the previous one. More peach and coral tones, than the earlier lavenders.

See DENMARK MEANS ART - Part 2