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Posts Tagged ‘travels’
Horizon at Kalø Slot
This is the only picture I took over a 2 week trip to Danmark this December. Not very representative, as the winters in Denmark are cold, dark, colder, and darker, with only about 6 hours of daylight and rain that drives at you from the top the side AND the bottom. This wonderful walk to visit Kalø Slot was a slice of reprieve, and probably another fraction adding to the mythic allure of Denmark as the country of smiles and peace.
Fictive Reality by Gregory Crewdson
While in Danmark over the holidays I visited the National Library in Copenhagen to see a photography exhibit by Gregory Crewdson. The library is nicknamed “The Black Diamond” after its 1999 addition of black marble that juts over the water. Split up the center of the coal structure are undulating balconies that connect the inside of the library to the outside harbor seamlessly. Moving back through the library is like peeling back the skin of an onion, as the more historic section of the library is fully intact and like stepping through a time warp to a century ago.
Photos of the library by Jan Lykke.
Outside view of the library at night.
Looking into the library and up the channel that connects the new addition to the old building.
I was vaguely familiar with Crewdson’s work beforehand, knowing that his signature was to create elaborately produced photos. The exhibit was a great mix of showing the process he uses to set up his scenes (much like filming a movie with constructed sets, fake snow and fog machines) and a wide range of his work (from photos of Americana to ghost towns to fireflies). While I personally subscribe more closely to a “keep it real” policy, Crewdson’s ability to finely tune the details of a scene to the nth degree is exquisite. While these hyper-realistic scenes are entirely staged fiction, the talent to envision these photos is nothing but real. Here are a few photos from the exhibit that made me shiver, aptly named “In A Lonely Place”.
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Favorites from ARoS
Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the ARoS art museum in Århus, Denmark. It’s a great little museum with a nice diversity of exhibits, just enough that you feel like you’ve seen enough but not too much that you are tired of museums at the end.
Ung Dame i Lyseblåt by Harald Giersing, 1918
Little Sister by Fredrik Raddum, 2010
The most recent grand addition to the museum was also very nice, the Rainbow Panorama by Olafur Eliasson. A circular pathway built atop the museum, you can see all of Århus from it thru it’s ever-shifting hues.
Rainbow Panorama by Olafur Eliasson, 2011
Inside the museum were additional parts of the exhibit, my favorite of which was a room filled with fog and that immersed you completely within seconds of entering the room. Sight was limited to three feet in front of you and as you moved around the room the color of light continuously changed, resulting in a very sensory experience.
A room filled with fog and lights. Pretty spectacular.
The Phoenix is Closer than it Appears
One of the exhibits I saw this summer at Ålborg’s art museum, Kunsten, is a piece by Thilo Frank called “The Phoenix is Closer than it Appears”. Frank focuses on creating collaboration between the artist’s work and the public.
This piece is a giant glass cube with a swing inside. One person is allowed inside at a time, creating a strange feeling of isolation while being surrounded by a gajillion mirror images of yourself.
What you see on the outside...
What you see on the inside...
Euro Textures
Here are a few photos from my annual pilgrimage to visit the rest of my brethren in Europe. I’ve done my tourist job well and captured the requisite cross-sampling of vintage typography samples, old meets new, royal wallpaper and a decorative plate.
Elephant Summer
This summer in Danmark elephants were everywhere. First off, I stayed with my cousin in Frederiksberg in an old Carlsberg beer silo that had been renovated into apartments. The view from the apartment looked out onto the old Carlsberg brewery, whose elephant mascots grace the entryway to the old factory as well as marketing materials and their Elephant Beer.
Welcome to Carlsberg.
What a happy elephant. Looks like he has had one too many...
One of the main art attractions while we were in Copenhagen was the Elephant Parade. Over 100 five-foot elephants were placed throughout the city, each individually designed by famous and upcoming artists. The goal was to contribute to the conservation of Asian elephants and raise general public awareness about the elephants’ dwindling numbers. As a souvenir, I bought a small figurine of Lars Pugholm’s entry.
Elephant #17: Poetry by Lars Pugholm
The Royal Copenhagen elephant out in the city. (photo from tokyorevive.com)
Lastly, during a scenic drive on the east coast of Jutland we spotted a REAL, LIVE elephant outside SuperBrugsen. It was there to promote the visiting circus, which we only learned about later. In the US, this would be like seeing an elephant outside your local Safeway.
As an ode to this summer theme of pachyderms, I decided to make my own elephant portrait.
Lego Logo Wall
While in Copenhagen this summer I stopped into a Lego store to browse, and was rewarded with a little designer treat – a giant wall of Lego’s logo history, surrounded by an even more giant lego dragon hovering ominously over a replica of the fuzzy-hatted Danish soldiers that guard the royal palace.
Tre Trin Til en Festlig Dag
This summer my Aunt Nete is turning 50, and I am very excited to visit Danmark for the event. The Danes like to celebrate, and this will be no exception! The “three step” party will include a sailing trip on a boat named Dagmar, a luksus picnic at Skanderborg Sø, and finally a live band at their home terrace in Århus so everybody can really party down.
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Amsterdam in Black & White
While in Amsterdam this past summer I went into a little shop that sold black and white sketches of the city. What with it being fleet week and all, I had no time to go about drawing everything I saw. Luckily, Hermen Jan Jansen does it for a living, so I got a 6 for 10euro deal on some postcards that, unlike my personal photos, have no hordes of tourists or sailors in them.
Every time I travel I am reminded about how small our world can be – Hermen had hitchhiked through Portland in his youth. Maybe someday he’ll come back and draw some of our landmarks. (Images from the artist’s site: www.hjdrawings.com)
The three X marks on the posts are Amsterdam's coat of arms.
The guard rails next to the canals are about 6" tall. Fine for locals, but more of a tripping hazard for tourists.
The beams at the top of each roof peak are for moving furniture into the house since everything is very narrow, including winding stairs.
We actually got to see the moving in process using the outside roof beams and pulleys being used by two moving workers. They moved some chairs, a dresser, and a couch in about 10 minutes.
Arhus – Byen Ved Havet
This summer I spent some time visiting my family in Arhus, Danmark. While there I went to see the poster exhibit “Genkendelsens Glæde”, and bought a few oversize postcard replicas. With advertising like this, I’m surprised more people aren’t flocking to Arhus. It’s pretty nice, I have to agree.
Poster by Henrik Hansen, undated.
Strammer Max and Warrior Cats
In Northern Europe there is a constant movement of spendthrifts who go to other countries to buy goods with lower taxes applied. The Swedes sail to Danmark for the “cheap” beer, while the Danes go to Germany for the “cheaper” beer. It’s pretty much a family tradition once or twice a year to pile into the car and drive to Germany to buy inexpensive things.
This year was no exception, and we all made an outing to Flensborg for some shopping and strammer max, which after reading the wikipedia description, clears up why my cousins thought it was so funny that my grandfather kept declaring he wanted his strammer max.
My cousin bought a leopard print shirt for $1, my dad bought some tennis balls, my grandpa bought some alcohol and my uncle Henrik calculated the savings made on each item in his head. I didn’t buy anything, but I did see this book series entitled Warrior Cats. Uh, awesome?
More proof that I really don't understand German taste.
Hamburger Kunsthalle
While in Hamburg this summer I went to the art museum there. It was GIANT, and the only reason I made it through the whole thing in one day was because there were no English captions to increase viewing time, and I stopped for lunch during the middle of the visit. Here are a few of my favorite close-ups.
Fish Bonanza, Now We’re Talking
When I saw this painting at the Hamburg Art Museum, I felt like I had met a kindred spirit. After seeing about 200 paintings about crucifixion, I was finally among artists who understood my obsessions. A two-month long binge on tuna melt sandwiches – YES! Mackerel in tomato sauce – YES! Pickled herring by the pound – YES! Fried and breaded fish – YES! Octopus rings – YES! (Well, technically there aren’t any octopus in the picture, but a girl can dream).
Large Still Life with Fish, 1927, by Max Beckmann.
Denmark, Country of Smiles and Peace
While visiting Denmark this summer I went to Den Gamle By in Arhus where there was a travel poster display. “Genkendelsens Glæde” is a collection of classic Danish posters from the 20s-90s. When we walked unknowingly into the exhibition hall I heard my sister say “Uh, oh, we’re going to be here forever…”. I only wish. Below is one of the better pictures I could take, and also a good summation of my childhood memories of this tiny country.
The Danish Poster Museum has a partial digital archive of the collection, as well as some reproductions of various posters in large format postcards that are for sale.
Potato Contraption. It’s Art.
I guess I’ll chalk this one up to modern art where the amusement factor overshadowed everything else. Seen in the Hamburg Art Museum.
Device which allows one potato to revolve around another potato, 1969, by Sigmar Polke. The signs were very emphatic that you should not touch this display. So I took a picture from afar.
I Went to Europe and Then I Came Back.
Here are some photo selects from my travels through Hornbæk, Gilleleje, København, Arhus, Skødshoved, Ålborg, Sønder Hostrup, Flensberg, Aabenraa, Vrå, Jegind Ø, Hamberg and Amsterdam. Yeah I know, try saying Vrå ten times and you’ll end up with a sprained tongue.
Summer house in Hornbæk.
The crown above the name indicates royalty uses this house.
A family portrait. Not mine.
How to Eat Lunch Like a Dane
I have a love love relationship with food. I love it, period. Even when I eat too much, I hold no grudges. The ability to eat a lot comes in particularly handy in Danmark, whether it’s at a Julefrokost or just your typical Danish lunch. Because Danes like to eat, and they take it very seriously, as you can see by this poster of different Danish sandwich combinations.
Mmmm, nothing like a banana and ryebread sandwich.
This summer I visited my family in Danmark and checked off a good number of Harald’s suggestions. My Danish sandwich eating habits have drawn strange looks and complaints of fishy smells from my American friends and co-workers, but finally I was in the motherland where I could eat pickled herring with wild abandon and nobody complained about the wafting scent of mackerel.
In case you’d like more insight into eating Danish sandwiches, you can follow my personal guide for a typical Saturday lunch.
First, fish.
- one or two pickled herring sandwiches on ryebread with white onion garnish
- a mackerel in tomato sauce sandwich
- if you’re lucky to have it, a breaded fish filet sandwich with remoulade
- or a fried bit of torsk with lemon
Then, more stuff, sans fish.
- liverpaste, perhaps with some bacon or crispy onions on top
- various salami on ryebread combinations
- my favorite: roast beef on rye bread with both remoulade and crispy onions
- assorted pålæg like cold mixed salad toppings, and other kinds of pressed meats
- cucumber slices, tomatoes, and hard boiled egg
And don’t forget you can add a round of cheese on white bread and crackers at the end! By now you should be full, and starting to plan your next meal. Tak for mad!
