I have loved Danish design since I was a kid, when my physicist father went to Denmark on trips, sending postcards of the little mermaid, and small teak mice that sat on the kitchen sills in our home. (I am a sap for these things now and always)
A part of my grant, I went to see the modernist traditions, but also more current manifestations. In their product designs, these traditions have a firm grasp on current design.
*Don't look for complete sentences or thoughts here, still processing.
Design Museum Denmark
Curating was a bit chaotic, and the floor tiles are another story, but lots to see.
Favorites were the toys of Kay Bojesen, who I need to learn more about
Some of the fabric objects were amazing as well (last is corset for while you are pregnant)
Danish = (wrath of) square but round aesthetic (yes I know this is simplified, but not all together wrong)
Well crafted, colorful figures and Danish wood! Teak!
More work from the Museum
Copenhagen was expensive: $5 for an elderberry soda; a small one.
Copenhagen Contemporary
Large scale installations, not unlike MassMoca, but you can bike there
Swinging work by Superflex, a Danish Copenhagen based collective
Playfulness of swing sets very meditative, didn’t want to leave and plan to put swing in my studio at home (supposed to be communal but didn’t have to be)
I tried jumping off. I am too old for that.
Swinging ball Instagram-ready, also meditative (if not slightly off its timing)
Doug Aitken (American-Californian) video piece ...I Only Have Eyes for You, sung by John Doe (swoon) and others, lip synched by Tilda Swinton and a very California looking girl, mesmerizing repetition, amazing circumferential screen (which I lust after)
All required some participation of viewer (swing on the swing, lay under the ball and stare at your self go by, selfie for Instagram, watch from the center of the Aitken piece)
My cynical-self says it’s about the spectacle (blockbuster shows, will it look good on instagram? Will Beyonce and Jayz come see it?)
Less cynical thinks of human-need to be small/meditative in these times
Meditative interactive work seems in abundance this summer, I have ideas why
I also saw Marina Abramovic's The Abramović Method for Treasures at the Black Diamond/ the Royal Library where they seperated you from phone and cameras (be present)and shoes (willingly), and you lie down in rare book room listening to sections of texts by Ghandi, Kierkegaard, Tycho Brahe, and others, read to you through shuffle.
90 minutes felt like 10, and it was sad to leave.
Statens Museum for Kunst
Foreigners, don’t leave us alone with the Danes (also by Superflex)
Graphics for a cause
Danish anti-immigration laws and homogeneity leave recent newcomers feeling unsafe, graphics to address this (show the hidden patterns...more later)
Other Nordic classics: Munch, Nolde, Per Kirkby, Kirchener
So hot: feet, children, dogs in somewhat slimey fountain outside, too hot to care
(Missed Gabrielle Munter show, too far for hot, sweaty biking)
Hay (Danish) Design House
prestigious, simple, many designs iconic
focus on objects/ product design
square but round
elegant glazes
native son and art golden-boy Olaffur Eliasson touches on social design with Little Sun Light (can be charged from sun) (link below to article)
Copenhagen as a city
Expensive!
6th floor walk up (they call it 5th)
amazing lemon and white chocolate vegan ice cream
Biking better than states, not as good as Amsterdam
(bigger paths in some places, but cars have a much bigger presence in Copenhagen)
biked the snake bridge
biked everywhere
Went to Assistens Cemetery to see the graves of Hans Christian Anderson, Søren Kirekegaard, and Niels Bohr (nice big owl on his large grave).
It was too hot to think.
Everyone was swimming in canals, but I brought no suit, which didn't stop others.
Nice to see some of the Nordic floral decorations on a bike and in a church. Both were other wise sparse.
There were Legos too, but that will be soon in another post
The push-pull between creating objects and social design will be spoken to a bit in post with What Design Can Do.
* It was 85˚ F. They have no ac. A candy store had to throw out their entire stock as everything melted. But I found really good lemon and white chocolate ice cream.
Olaffur Elliason lamp
https://www.dezeen.com/2017/09/02/competition-win-little-sun-diamond-solar-lamp-olafur-eliasson/
HAY
https://hay.dk/da-dk
Snake Bridge
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/jul/14/bike-lanes-bridge-copenhagen-new-cycle-snake-cykelslangen
Superflex
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superflex
Kay Bojesen
https://www.kaybojesen-denmark.dk
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