What Danish Museums are Doing Post Lockdown
MODERN ART MEETS BRAVE NEW WORLD
A few weeks ago, another wave of reopenings was revealed here in Denmark. This one gave a specific shout out to Denmark’s myriad cultural institutions. Effective from the very next day – May 22nd – museums, theaters, art galleries, cinemas, zoos/aquariums, and botanical gardens could once again welcome visitors if they complied with the latest recommendations from the Danish health authority.
So what does that mean for you and me? What has changed and what do you need to know if you want to go. This week I stepped inside two iconic halls of modern art on this side of Denmark. Come along to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk and Arken Museum of Modern Art in Ishøj, both just outside the capital Copenhagen.
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art | Humlebæk Denmark
EXTENDED HOURS AND PRE-BOOKING TIMED ENTRIES
Make your way up the gorgeous Danish coastline to the little hamlet of Humlebæk and step inside the incredible Louisiana Museum. It might be one of my favorite museums. Anywhere. At once cozy and accessible, this meandering villa sits right on the Danish sea. An impressive permanent collection is balanced and energized from a steady rotation of new exhibits from some of the greatest artists, past and present, around the world.
To keep guests safe and appropriately spread out, the museum has instituted ticketing timeslots to eliminate queuing out front and they recommend you book online before visiting. Extended opening hours ensures everyone will have plenty of time (and space) inside and out. Now open daily Monday through Saturday from 09.00 – 23.00 and Sundays 09.00 – 18.00 so everyone who wants to can enjoy.
NEW RULES FOR THE CHILDREN’S WING
Louisiana is known for welcoming and engaging even the littlest art lovers and has a fabulous kids’ room, called the Børnehus. Here your littles and not-so-littles (ages 4-16) can participate in workshops and make something inspired by the current exhibitions. New for now, is a check-in procedure for all interested families. A staff member will determine if there is an available distanced space for your kids to create and then deliver each a disinfected set of their own art supplies. For more inspiration and what extra art workshops are currently on offer, follow Louisiana Børnehus on Facebook.
CHANGES TO DINING IN LOUISIANA CAFE
Delicious Danish food is still being served at the Louisiana Café, but with a few changes due to the current situation. The formerly famous lunch buffet is no longer available. Seating inside is now set up for safely spaced table service only. When you’re ready for refreshments, simply head down to the café where you and your party will be seated by staff. Everything will be served and paid right at your table, then disinfected for the next diners. When the weather is nice, you can grab a table outside, first come first served. Here there will also be table service, but note that if the weather takes a turn for the worse, it won’t be possible to pop inside with your order.
WHAT’S ON CURRENTLY AT LOUISIANA | FROM JUNE 2020
ANN VERONICA JANSSENS | HOT PINK TURQUOISE
23.1.2020 – 21.6.2020
Hurry in to catch the last few weeks of Hot Pink Turquoise by Belgian artist Ann Veronica Janssens. A beautiful and ethereal exhibit that plays with color, form, light and space.
NANCY SPERO | LOUISIANA ON PAPER
23.1.2020 – 21.6.2020
Also ending soon, American artist Nancy Spero’s collection of activist art from the 1960s that seems especially pertinent today.
PER KIRKEBY | BRONZE
21.2.2020 – 6.12.2020
Want to learn about and explore the works of Denmark’s own Per Kirkeby? You can. I will admit I didn’t know much about the artist until this week’s visit but was mesmerized by the exhibition at the museum right now. Get an inside look at Kirkeby’s vision, inspiration, and process throughout the collection.
Monumental bronze sculptures dominate the spaces here, but when examining the works up close, they feel vibrant and full of energy. Hard casts of imposing metal look almost pliable, exposing the artist’s exploration of the original clay. Accompanied by some of his large scale paintings, plus works from other artists that inspired him, it’s a don’t miss when here. Kirkeby exhibition on until December 2020.
TETSUMI KUDO | CULTIVATION
5.6.2020 – 10.1.2021
Just opened recently this June, Louisiana’s latest exhibition highlights a collection of works from Japanese artist Tetsumi Kudo. At once bizarre and beautiful, Kudo’s works from almost 50 years ago feel sublimely timely today. Right now. The exhibit starts (or ends, depending on which way you enter) with a photograph of the artist in a gas mask. Exploring what Kudo called a “new ecology” his pieces tackle issues from another era – the 1970s. An era when social upheaval, environmental concerns and new technologies dominated world landscapes. Cut to 2020 and his work feels just as important and provoking.
Melted plastic flowers mingle with body parts growing in glass terrariums studded with electrical circuits, fuses and fluorescent paint. It isn’t for the faint of heart. The artist uses the idea of metamorphosis, especially the point right before change as a theme in many of his works. Larvae in cocoons disguised as phalli grow again and again in different dynamics. Don’t miss the two pieces from the museum’s own permanent collection amidst the cacophony. I especially liked the glow-in-the-dark part of the exhibit, diving into Kudo’s idea of radiation as a means for cultivation. A child in Japan when the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs dropped, motivation for these works exploring the extremes of human pollution.
READ MORE: WORLD CLASS ART BY THE SEA | LOUISIANA MUSEUM
TAKE THE TRAIN TO HUMLEBÆK FOR LOUISIANA
Don’t have a car, or want to keep your visit sustainable? Step aboard a regional train in town departing from Central Station (København H), Nørreport or Østerport heading towards Helsingør. Make sure you don’t miss your stop at Humlebæk. Right now, you’ll need to get a pladsbillet, or seat reservation ticket with your regular ticket. You can buy at the station, online at dsb.dk, or on the DSB app. The train ride is about 35 minutes and the museum is approximately a 10-minute walk from the Humlebæk station or a 5-minute bike ride. Remember to purchase a ticket to take your bicycle on the regional train.
GOOD TO KNOW:
LOCATION:
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Gammel Strandvej 13, 3050 Humlebæk Demark
+45 49190719
CURRENT OPENING HOURS SUMMER 2020:
Monday – Saturday | 09.00 – 23.00
Sunday | 09.00 – 18.00
Children’s Wing | Open Daily 09.00 – 18.00
Café | Breakfast 09.00 – 11.00, Lunch 12.00 – 16.00, Dinner 18.00 – 21.00
TICKET PRICES:
Book ahead online here:
Adults 18+ | DKK 130
Students (with ID) | DKK 115
Louisiana Member | Free
Member’s Guests (up to 4) | DKK 110 (membership # required)
Children 0-17 | Free
Note: Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult
Arken Museum of Modern Art | Ishøj Denmark
Take the train south, instead of north and you’re about 30 minutes from another amazing modern art institution located by the sea in Ishøj. Not quite as large, Arken offers interesting traveling exhibits that rotate often. Like Louisiana, the post lockdown protocol at Arken recommends pre-booking a time-slotted ticket before beelining to the front door. Beginning at 10.00, entries are allowed every two hours, but once in, you can stay as long as you like. I felt like two hours was just about the perfect amount of time though for what’s on right now.
WHAT’S ON CURRENTLY AT ARKEN | FROM JUNE 2020
PAOLA PIVI | WE ARE THE ALASKAN TOURISTS
29.02.2020 – 10.01.2021
Full-scale polar bears sport brilliantly colored feathers in the main hall at Arken. Playfully positioned in joyful poses – leaping, hanging, lounging, and the like – you can’t help but smile while meandering among the beasts. But please, no touching.
DYR I KUNST | ANIMALS IN ART
26.05.2020 – 10.01.2021
A curious, humorous, and thought-provoking modern look at how we portray animals in art. Faced with the literal “elephant in the room,” take an up-close and personal look at how we perceive animals.
TAKE THE TRAIN TO ISHØJ FOR A VISIT TO ARKEN
You can easily take an S-tog train from Copenhagen to Ishøj. You can buy a ticket at the station, use your rejsekort or the DSB app. Unlike the regional trains, you don’t need to pre-book or purchase a pladsbillet for the S-tog, but once aboard follow the recommended seating arrangements to keep everyone safe. Both the A-line and the E-line go to Ishøj, but the E is quicker as there are only 5 stops, whereas you’ll have to do all 10 stops on the A-line. Take your bike on board and follow the well-marked signs to the museum – it takes about 10-15 minutes. Plan on a 25-minute walk from the station or jump on the 128 bus nearby for a 5-minute ride to the museum.
GOOD TO KNOW:
LOCATION:
Arken Museum for Modern Art
Skovvej 100, 2635 Ishøj Denmark
+45 43540222
CURRENT OPENING HOURS SUMMER 2020:
Tuesday – Sunday | 10.00 – 17.00
Wednesday | 10.00 – 21.00
Monday | Closed
Café | Tuesday-Sunday 10.00-16.30, Wednesday 10.00-20.30 (kitchen closes 30 minutes before)
TICKET PRICES:
Book ahead online here:
Adults 18+ | DKK 100
Students | DKK 100
ARKEN Member | Free
Children 0-17 | Free
So with a few precautions and a bit of pre-planning, for those of you living here in Denmark, you can once again get your cultural fix around Copenhagen. Most institutions are have re-opened around the country, with the exception of the Danish Design Museum, that has chosen to use this time to restructure inside and will open doors once more in early 2021.
For those of you outside Denmark, you can’t come to Copenhagen yet to stay. But hopefully soon. Stay tuned. Cheers from here.
That Animals in Art exhibit looks fascinating! I can’t wait for the time when galleries and museums open up here again in the UK. I’m so missing my culture fix!