Denmark Means Art: Part 3

Krakamarken was our first stop the next day. Established in 1988 by sculptor Jørn Rønnau as a seventy-acre experimental space for artists creating site-specific, nature-related artworks. In 1992, seventeen artists were invited to create works on the land with new pieces produced in subsequent years. The project was terminated by the end of 1998, though the commune still mows the grass around what remains.

Soon after crossing the Randers River, it became apparent that RANDERS was a city of extraordinary public art, as well as home to the art museum we expected.

As a matter of fact, it has a full-blown sculpture trail with sixty-seven artworks spread around town in a permanent display. Most, however, are downtown and within easy walking distance. The sculptures included older monuments as well as contemporary pieces. It’s like a scavenger hunt. Here are some that we liked:

Happy Man by Tauno Kangro

Flyvende Fugle by Erik Heide, 1992

Diana eller en jaegerinde by Vilhelm Bissen, 1890

Stele by Frede Troelsen

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SCULPTURE.

We had Chinese for lunch while out on our sculpture ramble. Sat across from an old school building.

Thats new in 1618.

The Randers Art Museum holds approximately 4,000 works. Many provide a survey of Danish art from 1800 to today as well as examples of contemporary foreign works. Here we first met William Scharff, a member of Den De Tretten (The Group of Thirteen).

Legende by William Scharff, 1911

Komposition i blat (hons) by William Scharff, 1918

Also known as De Tretten Kunstnere (The Thirteen Artists), this group of young Danish artists arranged their own exhibitions in Copenhagen from 1909 to 1912 in order to display works which would not have been accepted for exhibition by the then rather traditional Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Edvard Weie was in this group as well.

Opstilling. Udateret by Edvard Weie

Interior med kunsthandler Carl Clausen by Edvard Weie

CoBrA was well represented:

Serenite aubaine by Asger Jorn, 1970

Head. Uden ar by Karel Appel

Rod marionet og fugl by Carl-Henning Pedersen, 1969

La Ne, L'ete by G.V.B. Corneille, 1970

Notre Dame, Paris by Henry Heerup, 1961

Orange maske by Egill Jacobsen, 1944

A vue d'oeil d'oiseau by Pierre Alenchinsky, 1968

1968 Pigehoved by Erik Thommesen, 1944

Maske og figur by Sonja Ferlov Mancoba, 1977-84

It was Karel Appel, together with Constant and Corneille, that formed the Dutch Experimental Group, which eventually joined up with Asger Jorn to create CoBrA, but I'll leave that until later.

There were Richard Mortensen and Robert Jacobsen: