LOUISIANA Museum of Modern Art

At the top of my 'must-see' list for any visitor to Copenhagen is the fabulous LOUISIANA Museum of Modern Art. While discussing our impending move to Denmark with my doctor, Karen, she proclaimed "oh you must go to Louisiana, it's my favorite museum in the world!" So it was a great tip, we visited our first weekend and it was the highlight sandwiched between endless trips to IKEA, and secondly it was an unexpected perk of my annual physical to discuss modern art with my lovely Colorado doctor.



Anyway I digress already, back to the museum. It's a 35 minute train ride north from central Copenhagen to the town of Humblebaek, located on the coast overlooking the Oresund. The setting is stunning. From the entrance it looks like an unassuming white country house, covered in ivy. What first hits you is the view out over the lawns behind the house looking across the sea to Sweden.

I have lived in Denmark for a mere three months, but have already visited Louisiana five times. If I could ignore the daily demands of 'home-keeping' I'd be there every week. A great gift was a museum membership +1, which now means unlimited museum visits and I can take a guest. 

http://www.louisiana.dk/uk/Menu/Visit+Louisiana
The museum is designed in an arc with series of interconnecting buildings branching off from the original house. The indoor display space is framed by the sculpture park outside which you can access from many points. Regardless of the day or the weather, a massive Henry Moore reclining woman on the main lawn, and an Alexander Calder mobile outside the cafe always draw ones eye.

My parents came to stay last weekend on their first trip to Denmark. So they had barely had a chance to explore Copenhagen before they were on the train Louisiana bound with me! Friday we were blessed with perfect early winter weather: bright blue skies, crisp cold air, crunchy leaves underfoot, and traces of ice crystals from the freeze the night before. 

As many of you know I have an obsession with the sea - and seek out opportunities to be by the water, in the water, traveling to water .... At the far end of the south wing I discovered this sculpture, which I absolutely love due to the humour and the sense of possibility. It makes me think of  Buzz Lightyear and want to shout out "to infinity and beyond" (BL is the astronaut toy from Toy Story movie if he is unfamiliar to you). Thankfully for my parents I just thought this and didn't create a commotion in this tranquil gallery space.

The highlight of my most recent visit was to take another look at the "NEW NORDIC architecture & identity" exhibit which closes at the beginning of November. To quote the book that accompanies the exhibition:

"Is there a Nordic identity? Can one still speak of what has been called the Nordic way? Can we, despite the tendency of globalization to wipe out national and cultural differences, still speak at all of identity as something associated with particular places, areas or regions? How has Nordic identity developed alongside the development of the rest of the world?" 

It truly is one of the most thought provoking exhibits I have seen - here are a few images to give you an idea.

 As you can see it also catered for my love of all things "wool-related". Next up will be about Arne & Carlos famous for their "Julekugler" & "Strikke-Dukker" (Christmas Balls & Knitted Dolls - doesn't sound nearly as fun in English as in Danish does it!)