Arken

So it’s been a really long time since I’ve made it to the ‘write blog post’ item on my to do list – trivial things like ‘buy crib’, ‘learn Danish’, ‘finish work’ and ‘research how not to kill a baby’ have been taking precedence. Somewhat worryingly that last task remains incomplete, but here I am anyway – valiantly trying to resuscitate this poor neglected blog.

A few weekends ago a friend invited us to go check out Arken, which is yet another modern art museum out in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of Copenhagen. I’ve had a massive blind spot as far as Arken is concerned – every time I have read or heard about it I’ve failed to follow up on it. It’s location was always a bit hazy in my mind, and it also doesn’t help that it’s competing for our affection with other amazing galleries like the Louisiana.

Having now been there I feel doubly embarrassed we haven’t been sooner, because it’s a) actually pretty easy to get to, and b) a genuinely great gallery.

The exhibition we saw is called ‘Gys! Er den levende?‘ (or ‘Gosh! Is it alive?’), and it runs until 6 August 2017. If anyone is on the fence about visiting Arken, I’d recommend going in the next few months – this exhibition is at the less ‘challenging’ and more entertaining end of the modern art spectrum… actually I shouldn’t say it was less challenging, because there were a hell of a lot of works relating to pregnancy, birth and babies. Needless to say I found these works to be plenty challenging.

The setting for the museum is perplexing – it’s on the coast south of Copenhagen, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.  I guess it makes sense – you can build a giant cutting edge gallery on cheap land with no neighbours to worry about. These galleries give weight to the notion that ‘if you build it, they will come’.

It was a pretty cold, grey and windswept day when we visited, so the beach was looking extra Danish. We’ll have to come back in late summer once the exhibitions change to properly enjoy the seaside setting.