Op til Ordrupgaard

The festival of Anna and Steve continues in this post – we must have packed a lot into a week, because it’s making me exhausted just writing about it. No trip to Copenhagen would be complete without hooning around the place on bikes. With one day left of forecast sunshine (or at least not rain), we grabbed some hire bikes and set out to get our money’s worth.

Our general plan was to explore the area north of Copenhagen. The first stop was Ordrupgaard museum, although we got a bit waylaid en route at Bernstorff Slot.

Ordrupgaard is primarily an art gallery that sometimes gets referred to as the Louisiana’s little sibling, but I think they are really on par. It has an interesting mix of classic and modern architecture, with a relatively new wing designed by Zaha Hadid. The main collection in the original building covers Danish and French art from the 19th and early 20th centuries, while the new wing had a Vilhelm Hammershøi exhibition that we fell completely in love with. It takes a lot of skill to make painting after painting of the sparse interiors of the same house compelling, yet somehow he managed to do just that.

Ordrupgaard’s secret weapon is that the furniture designer Finn Juhl happened to design and build his house next door in the 1940s, and then filled it with all his own furniture. The house has been kept as a little time capsule and is now part of the museum. It’s basically a mid-century dream home of epic proportions.

Gah, the house is just the best and I covet everything in it. They need to hold a 50s Fair there like at Rose Seidler House… maybe that’s my calling – bringing 50s Fair to Denmark?

The museum also has a very eclectic selection of sculptures scattered around the grounds.

Jeppe Hein basically created a mesmerising trap for Anna made of mirrors. I am surprised we ever got her out of there… it’s quite possible she only made it out because she ran out of dance moves? Steve was right to question what she was doing.

The sun finally came out, so we spent some time lolling around the grounds and somehow got sucked into playing one of the games that were spread around the lawn – hammerspil. Needless to say it got very competitive and sweaty very quickly.

SUCH TENSION, SUCH HIGH STAKES! I have watched Ant lecture Anna on when she can claim glory so many times and it never gets old.

NB: Anna would like it noted that the video is not an accurate representation of how good she was at that game.

PS. pretty sure I actually won at hammerspil, but Anna was too busy claiming glory to notice. Also history is written by the victor, and I am writing this blog, so… coincidence? I think not.