The Artist- Bjørn Nørgaard

Bjørn Nørgaard was born in 1947. He studied at the experimental art school in Copenhagen in the 60s. In the 60s and 70s Nørgaard was an active participant in the many directions that would provide visual art new content and new forms. He has made several legendary performances and prompted many discussions about freedom of expression and its invisible borders.Since the late 1970s, Bjørn Nørgaard has produced a number of important public works. The first of these was commissioned for the library in Gladsaxe (1978), and has since been followed by the Panum Institute and “Thor’s tower” in Høje Tåstrup.Through these works, Nørgaard became known for his free use of different materials. The sculptures have a strong presence through their often monumental scale and lush use of colour. In his choice of material we encounter for example ceramics, mosaic, stone, bronze and copper.Nørgaard’s art has a narrative character. The elements of the sculptures often come from different cultures. An important visual source is Nordic mythology.The sculpture “Stone Church” in Evenes has its formal basis in church/temple architecture. We see a tall building that clearly is not meant for everyday use. The forms are soft, but the whole is solemn and exalted. The sculpture’s figure has a mystical nature to it. It creates a place where myths, the invisible threads that bind us together, become visible.

We can reflect on the past, present and future. The sculpture's artistic expression is based as much on the free-standing three-dimensional sculptural form as it is on the engraved drawings on the walls inside the sculpture, and the whole structure refers to the architecture’s visual expression.

Bjørn Nørgaard’s public sculptures are also found in Germany, and he has participated in several international art exhibitions, including in the USA, Germany and Australia. Nørgaard was from 1985 to 1994 professor of sculpture at the Art Academy in Copenhagen.

Bjørn Nørgaard

Born: 1947 København, Danmark
Lives and workes in: Copenhagen, Denmark

Kunstnerens webpage
About the artist on Wikipedia