Deer me

 

No, it's not Dyrehaven but Ørestaden, even if these deer seem a bit misplaced. This is part of a new trend in Copenhagen. Instead of having a long and boring fence that begs the local youth to be creative with a spray can, artists are asked to use the fences as a big canvas. I haven't been able to figure out who is behind the deer on this fence, but it is nice. The deer progress from an open white field to a dark forest as you pass the Bella Center.

 

Sci-fi vision in sand

 

Today's photo is another one from the Copenhagen Sand Festival, cphsand for short. This sand sculpture is a sci-fi vision towering 5-6 meters above the visitors and with a vortex to draw in the eye.

 

A big head

Another of the sand sculptures from the Copenhagen Sand Sculpture Festival. 

A lot of sand

 

At the Copenhagen Harbour front in Havnegade tons of sand has been sculptured into huge sand sculptures. With the theme Myths and Legends the Copenhagen Sand Sculpture Festival seems to be on the way to become a summer tradition. This is the second year they're here and I sure hope they'll be back with more in the years to come.

A new weapon against parking violation?

 

No, this is not the way Copenhagen municipality punish parking violators, though some would actually find it a rather good idea. It's a piece of street art by artist Magnus Fuhr, who was inspired by a photo of an accident in Grand Canyon and decided to try to recreate it on central Copenhagen. If art is a question of getting attention this sure qualifies. On the day it was made the police were called and they couldn't decide what to make of it, until the artist got out from his nearby hiding place and told them what it was all about. It still gets the attention from tourists and locals alike as they pass it, do a double take and whip out their cameras to get the proof.

 

More activities at Carlsberg

Signs at the closed Carlsberg Breweries in Valby, Copenhagen, show the way to the different activities that has taken over old industrial buildings and outdoor areas. Art galleries, go-kart racing, skateboard areas, dance theatre, cafés, architects, designers and many others have all found room here.

Not many people

Even on the free Sundays the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is not crowded, except at their excellent café, so you can enjoy the many pieces of art in relative peace and quiet. And here photography without flash and tripods is permitted.

Enter an art museum

One of my favourite art museums in Copenhagen is the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek where the beer magnate I.C. Jacobsen poured money and culture back to society. The permanent exhibition of classical sculptures and the excellent selection of paintings by French masters can be enjoyed again and again. And on Sundays it's free.

He

Apart from the time lapse video I showed you yesterday I also got a few other shots Friday morning in Helsingør. This one is of the merman in the harbour, starring at the rising sun. The sculpture called Han (Danish for he) is made of steel by the artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset in 2010 as a modern version of Copenhagen's Little Mermaid. It got a mixed review by the public; the county and the politicians loved it but the department in charge of the castles and public buildings, the landscape architect responsible for the new harbour area in Helsingør and the foundation that financed the new area were not pleased.

Chiming man

An art work has appeared on the central square of Rådhuspladsen in Copenhagen; a figure made of colourful yarn connected to a bell and a peace sign. It's another art work by the street art group Streetheart, made as part of their Christmas Calendar happening with one new surprise each day of December until Christmas Eve. This one is from December 4th and is made by Tejn.

Maybe not for free anymore

 

The day before yesterday I told you that the National Museum of Art has a free admission, but come new year that might not be the case anymore. Due to budget cuts it looks like it's going to cost money again to visit this brilliant museum. A shame really, as there has been a big increase in the number of visitors after the admission became free, especially the number of young visitors has risen sharply. And the price for the free admission per year? A measly 10 million DKR (2 million USD).

 

Looking at the lifeboat

 

At the National Museum of Art this statue is looking at one of the most famous Danish paintings, The Lifeboat is Taken through the Dunes, 1883, by Danish painter Michael Ancher (1849 - 1927). Painted at the artist hangout of Skagen at the northern tip of Jutland, it shows the hard life of the fishermen at that time and place.

 

National Art Museum

Copenhagen weather might not always be suited for outdoor activities and then it's nice to have other options. One of the better ones is the National Art Museum (Statens Museum for Kunst) where you can marvel at art from medieval times to the present. To visit the collections is free but you'll usually have to pay a fee to see one of the special exhibitions like the one about Matisse that is on at the moment.

Copenhagen Art Festival

 

Friday the Copenhagen Art Festival 2012 opened and with a host of events and exhibitions lasting into the autumn, there's going to be something for everyone. Some of the exhibitions will be held in the public space, like this Running Woman in the central park of Kongens Have, and some will be held at the participating art galleries. For more info visit www.cph-artfestival.org.

 

One of the paintings at the Galore Urban Art Festival at Toftegårds Plads in Valby was this huge one by Aryz of Spain. Here he is still working on the finishing touches of his artwork.

Don't loose your head

 
As told yesterday the Royal Cast Collection's got a lot of casts and very limited space to show them all, hence the shelves with busts. Here you can find Nero and Ceasar, Socrates and Aristotle and many, many more.

Casts are not only for broken limbs

 

The Royal Cast Collection which is a department of the National Museum of Art is a nice little museum if you like classical sculptures. Here is not the originals but a lot of plaster casts and a few replicas in bronze and wood of some of the best known classical works of art. A total of 2.500 casts are on display which doesn't give much room for the visitors. Situated in an old warehouse in Toldbodgade with a fantastic view of the harbour and right next to Amalienborg Palace, it should be crammed with visitors but as it's only open on Sundays (2pm - 5pm) and on Tuesday (10am - 4pm) many tourists with limited time end up elsewhere. The photo was shot out of the windows and show the piece-de-resistance, a bronze copy of Michelangelo's David on the quay and in the background the Norwegian naval training ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl.

The Reformation

Just opposite Vor Frue Kirke (Church of Our Lady) in Copenhagen is this monument to commemorate the Danish Reformation in 1536. It was made by Danish sculptor Max Andersen (1892-1972) and raised by Copenhagen Commune in 1943.

More art on the green wall

 

As told yesterday the green walls around the metro construction sites in Copenhagen are being decorated with art and photographs. This pic is from the wall at Kongens Nytorv.

 

The green Wall of Copenhagen

 

As told here before the construction of the new metro line in Copenhagen is making its mark around the city. One of the more obvious things is the large, green walls that has been put up around the construction sites. In a bid to make it look a bit better some of the walls will be used as place to show street art, photographic exhibitions or other public stuff. Here it's iconic photographs on Kongens Nytorv. -CL