nicgallery blog

The Art School

I got an insight into the life at this school recently through the resending of the 2002 documentary by the Danish National Television, ‘Tosset med Kunst’ (Crazy about art) . It has been a great interest of mine.. It´s such a great way of communicating across all kind of borders..artistic, mental ..you name it. There has been several progammes and articles in various medias about the subject, because of a new exhibition called Inside – Outside.
After seeing the exhibition at The Round Tower. I got the utmost respect for The Art Shool, the teachers and most of all, the artists. I´ve learned so much. Things I can use immediately in my painting.

The Art School for Adults with Learning Disabilities opened in 1994
The Art School offers tuition to adults with learning disabilities who wish to develop their interest in the visual arts and create paintings, drawings and sculpture.
The Art School is part of Handicap center Vest in the Municipality of Copenhagen.
Many students and teachers have contributed to the development of the School.
The School has become a part of a creative and inspiring arts centre for people with learning disabilities.
The medias and the key personel, in the arts circles are gaining more and more interest in in this institution.


The Round Tower

Rundetaarn (The Round Tower) was built on the initiative of King Christian IV (1588-1648) with Hans Steenwinkel the Younger as the architect. On July 7th -1637, the foundation stone for Rundetaarn was laid. The tower was the first stage of the Trinitatis complex, which was to gather three important facilities for the scholars of the seventeenth century: an astronomical observatory, a student church and a university library.
The library hall, above the vaults of the Church of Trinitatis, was used as a university library in the years 1657 - 1861.

In 1987, the hall was reopened after thorough restoration, and the 900 square metres of the room, now serve as a museum of changing exhibitions of art, culture, history and science. Entrance to the museum is only possible, through The Round Tower.
To go to the third floor level in order to visit the museum, you have to use the wonderful spiral walk.

The spiral walk is unique in European architecture. The 209 m long spiral ramp winds itself 7,5 times round the hollow core of the tower, forming the only connection between the individual parts of the building complex.


An exhibition called
Inside – Outside

‘inside – outside’ asks the question:
Who is outside, seen from within…or vice versa
The exhibition shows more than 130 works of art made during the last three years by adults with developmental handicaps on Kunstskolen (The Art School).

Many people got an insight into the life at the school through the 2002 documentary by the Danish National Television, ‘Tosset med Kunst’ (Crazy about art)
The exhibited works are each an expression of inspiration, fascination, experiences, happiness and sorrow…
It is all about life – lived, seen and shaped into familiar or surprising forms.

Some of the artists and a few of their works:


Christian Carlsen
Girl & Man
Acrylic on canvas 80 X 100 centimetres
This painting brought tears to my eyes. So direct..so sensitive..beautiful.




Christian Carlsen
Death takes the child
Acrylic on canvas
120 x 150 centimetres
Powerful, expressive, fantastic.




Steffen Maahr
Indians with pubic hair
Acrylic on canvas
Great humour.




Inger Andersen
Ice Bears
Steel wire
It´s like a pencildrawing made 3 dimentional. It was really an eye opener for me. Exceptional tecnique. I was so impressed.


This exhibition might very well be the most important for me this year. I´m very thankful, moved and inspired. It´s like being given a lot of energy. I´ve learned a lot about the communication and the creation of art. This exhibition even overrules the overall impression I got from the exhibition at the Loisiana art museum, showing Giacometti and Cezanne!

Links:
www.rundetaarn.dk
www.kunstskolenkbh.dk