Tag Archives: art

Art, Design, and Autumn in Aarhus, Denmark

48 Hours In A Lovely Small City

After leaving Kolding and our wonderful visit to the Trapholt, Museum, we took a less than two-hour drive north to Aarhus to see yet another Danish museum that is primarily dedicated to modern art and design.

Before our arrival, we hadn’t known that Arne Jacobsen, one of our favourite Danish designers, was one of the architects for the City Hall and Clock Tower opened in the early 1940s in Aarhus during World War II.

We had intentionally chosen an apartment that was a short 7-minute walk to the museum, allowing us to park the car and not worry about driving in the city. Mark took a few early morning walks while I was still sleeping, so a sprinkling of his pictures are included below.

The AROS Museum’s contemporary interior is housed in the 2004-built fourth version of the museum. The original was founded in 1859. Due to copyright issues, you will notice that I have not included any images of the artwork within the galleries.

The ring of coloured glass on the top of the building is a walkway that allows you to have a full view of the city all around you.

The exterior of the AROS Museum in the heart of Aarhus, Denmark.
Coloured glass rooftop walkway at the AROS Museum in Aarhus, Denmark.

Stepping through the doors of AROS, we were presented with an array of levels and lashings of bold phrases painted on the walls.

Interior of the AROS Museum in Aarhus, Denmark.

Accessibility is never an issue within this museum since there are glass elevators as well as curved ramps of easy-to-use stairs.

Spiral ramps connect the interior levels of the AROS Museum in Aarhus, Denmark.

AROS also has a multi-area cafe and shop on the ground floor.

Entry to the restaurant inside the AROS Museum in Aarhus, Denmark.

As we left the museum that evening, I turned around to see what the building would look like when it was lit up at night. It was equally as delightful as during the daytime.

Night view of the exterior of the AROS Museum with its landmark coloured glass walkway atop the building.

Below are some of the wonderful discoveries that Mark made on his morning walks. Enjoy!

Public art in Aarhus, Denmark. A metal sculpture of a man in a suit with his bicycle.

The near-empty canalside streets of Aarhus, Denmark in the early morning.
A wonderfully funny pedestrian crossing light with an illuminated Viking in a helmet carrying a battle axe and shield.
©Deborah Harmes. Painted signage — “it’s over” — on the wall of a passageway leading to an exit.

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes 2007-2019 and ©Mark Harmes 2007-2019
©A Wanderful Life 2007-2019
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Mid-Century Art & Design in Kolding, Denmark

As we travel from country to country, we’ve factored in time to indulge our love of art and design. So my heart beat a little faster when I learned that we could see an original Arne Jacobsen prototype for modular housing design from 1971 — and a visit to the Trapholt Museum in Kolding was planned.

You’d think I would have headed straight to that exhibit first — but no — I was lightheaded from hunger. As we walked to the far end of the museum, we were astonished at the serene view over the fjord below from the large windows of the cafe.

The cafe in the Trapholt Museum in Kolding, Denmark overlooks a deep-blue fjord.

After we dined, a visit to the Kubeflex prototype made us realise how far ahead of his time Arne Jacobsen was when he designed it and then died shortly afterwards in 1971. Good architecture and design for the masses, not just for the wealthy, was something he aspired to. Each module of the Kubeflex was 11 metres square and could be assembled in a variety of combinations according to the requirements of the new owners.

Unfortunately, Jacobsen’s untimely death meant that the Kubeflex design never went into production. Instead, the prototype was used as a summer house for over 30 years by the Jacobsen family.

Arne Jacobsen’s prototype for the modular housing design called Kubeflex is on permanent display at the Trapholt Museum in Kolding, Denmark.
Iconic original Egg Chairs designed by Arne Jacobsen are displayed in his prototype Kubeflex House at the Trapholt Museum in Kolding, Denmark.
Custom furniture designed by Arne Jacobsen is displayed in the Kubeflex prototype house at the Trapholt Museum in Kolding, Denmark.

The next must-see exhibit was the gallery containing work by Nanna Ditzel. The items on display contained bold colours that were visually arresting!

Nanna Ditzel Mid-Century design displayed at the Trapholt Museum in Kolding, Denmark.
Nanna Ditzel Mid-Century design displayed at the Trapholt Museum in Kolding, Denmark.

The media and the art world may call it ‘retro chic’ — but there was a nostalgic edge to everything we saw. The concepts that are now quite desirable again were so far ahead of their time.

Entry of the Trapholt Museum in Kolding, Denmark.

Next up — images from Mark’s rambles through Kolding.

Get UPDATES from A Wanderful Life by CLICKING HERE!

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes 2007-2019 and ©Mark Harmes 2007-2019
©A Wanderful Life 2007-2019
Please respect the words and images on this page. All rights reserved.

Deborah Harmes is a freelance writer, editor, and photographer and may be found at http://www.deborahharmes.com — Linkedin — Twitter — Instagram — Alamy photographic portfolio.

Perspectives On Paris — Another View

Over the years, my readers have seen my photojournalistic style photography. I do take close details, humourous or interesting juxtapositions, or landscapes — but mostly I take human interest, documentary, or art and architectural studies. Sometimes colour, sometimes black and white, my style is similar to other journalists or art photographers of my era — yet uniquely my own.

My husband Mark began to take a more serious interest in photography after we met almost 25 years ago. And over the years, his style has evolved in a wonderful way. He has an artist’s eye for composition and I love the fact that he sees things differently, that he notices details that I might not have ever seen. Our interests are similar, but not identical.

Today’s post is a photo essay — and every photo was taken by Mark Harmes.

Enjoy!

Child’s gravestone memorial statue in Paris.

Museum courtyard in Paris.

Man in shadow sits beside fountain of stacked concrete scoops in Paris.

Vertical elements in art and architecture in Paris.

Zig-Zag stairs behind a wall of green glass in Paris.

Generali Balloon ride in a park in Paris.

Walking in the shade of an overhead rail bridge on a hot day in Paris.

Glass angles and reflections in Paris.

Architectural details on an Art Nouveau building in Paris.

Mark’s reflection in the door glass of an Art Nouveau building in Paris.

COPYRIGHT
©Mark Harmes 2007-2018
©Deborah Harmes 2007-2018 and
©A Wanderful Life 2007-2018
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Paris Rendezvous — Part Four

The latest post is a sprinkling of images from our last days in Paris. It was a very compressed 5-day visit during an intense heatwave.

View of the Eiffel Tower from the Avenue de La Bourdonnaise in Paris.

Resting in the shade by a cooling water garden in back of the Musee Quai Branly in Paris. The Rue de L’Universite.

This isn’t chalk — these are painted designs on the bicycle and scooter lane alongside the Quai D’Orsay in Paris. Can’t find any information about what the marks mean!

Dinner at the Brasserie Terminus Balard in Paris.

Next up — a post full of images taken by Mark Harmes in Paris!

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes 2007-2018 and
©A Wanderful Life 2007-2018
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Paris Rendezvous — Part Three

One of the most delightful aspects of visiting a cultural hub like Paris is the availability of things to do each day! This large and fascinating museum — Musee Quai Branly — was completely new to me.

After I finished taking photos on the Pont de L’Alma bridge overlooking the Quai D’Orsay and the Seine, we turned around and hugged the shady side of the pavement on Quai Branly. The sun was eye-wateringly bright and the temperatures were over 30 degrees celsius in the shade. The architectural style of the museum was a wonderful surprise. Both the colours and the exterior layers of planting and building placement were quite enjoyable to stroll through.

The museum is vast and contains collections from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, and the Americas — all spread out over multiple levels in a gloriously contemporary set of buildings. The photos below are a mere sample of what there is to see!

Mayan statue in one of the collections of the Musee Quai Branly in Paris.

Musee Quai Branly restaurant set in the gardens of this extensive Seine-side museum in Paris.

Exterior ticket office within the cluster of contemporary buildings at the Musee Quai Branly in Paris.

Massive carved sandstone head from Oceania in the Musee Quai Branly in Paris.

Quite funny to watch all of these adults scampering from area to area whilst participating in some sort of corporate team-building scavenger hunt. This was going on all over the various levels of the Musee Quai Branly in Paris.

One of a collection of masks from the Pacific Northwest of North America at the Musee Quai Branly in Paris.

One of a collection of masks from the Pacific Northwest of North America at the Musee Quai Branly in Paris.

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes 2007-2018 and
©A Wanderful Life 2007-2018
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Photo Of The Day: Vast Art Spaces From Re-Purposed Buildings

Stunning open space inside the Tate Modern in London, England. The former Bankside Power Station was re-purposed as the Tate Modern — but it continues to evolve with the Tate Modern Project which will drastically transform the external appearance of this important art institution.
 

An impressive open space in part of the Tate Modern art museum in London, England


 

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Photo Of The Day From France: Les Braves

The wind whipped the flags behind us and the gusts were so strong that I was compelled to lean against any available building or post when I had a chance. But the sky was gloriously layered as Mark strode between the metal blades of the sculpture and the beauty of it all took my breath away.

Les Braves is not the usual type of memorial that one sees on battlefields. It is a soaring piece of contemporary art that was commemorated in 2004 at the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy during World War II. The French government commissioned this magnificent piece created by the woman sculptor Anilore Banon.
 

Les Braves monument on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France


 
We were fortunate to be there when the tide was out enough to walk around. But as you can see from the video on Banon’s site, the monument is surrounded by water when the tide is high and that too is quite a dramatic sight.

I have intentionally used a smaller version of the image so that you can click on the photo and EXPAND it to see the stunning beauty of that place, the somber moodiness that the weather created, and most of all, to take in the striking work of art against the sea and the sand.

To me it appears to be a glistening collection of swords impaled in those previously bloody sands, hilts buried in the beach and blade ends rising heavenward. But they also have the appearance of very contemporary and glowing angel wings. I suppose that it is up to each of us to interpret it according to our own personal vision and response.

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.