Art at Persaunet Nursing Home and Day Centre

Artists: Inger Johanne Rasmussen. Media: Tapestries and textile objects. Title: ‘Lukket hage’, ‘To kjeder’, ‘Gammel tåre’, ‘Blind fargebærer’ 2016 Margareta Bergmann. Title: ‘Tingen’, ‘Hånden’, ‘Engen’, ‘Skogen’ 2016  Johannes Vemren Rygh. Title: ‘Furet værbitt’ 2016 Jørn Rønnau. Title: ‘Torvet’, ‘Den grønne øya’ 2016. Art consultants: Grethe Hald, Petra Rahm.

In a six-storey staircase at Persaunet Nursing Home and Day Centre, Inger Johanne Rasmussen treats the public to a fairytale wander among her colourful tapestries and textile objects. The motifs range from flowers to jewellery and some bear a strong resemblance to the themes and aesthetics of glossy coloured prints. For many, this will conjure up bright and happy memories. The largest tapestries, measuring 1.6 x 2.2 metres, are mounted on the landings, where there is space to pause and enter the scenes and imagery Rasmussen has created with her embroidered wool combined with elements of textile patterns. In addition to the large tapestries, there are ten smaller tapestries/textile objects spread out across the other walls in the staircase.

Thematically, some of Rasmussen’s works bear similarities to Margareta Bergmann’s photographs, in which there is a focus on the following themes: the object, the hand, the meadow, and the forest. The photographs are black and white, and feature tight crops of each of the motifs from everyday life, the human body and nature.

The third artist in the large building is Johannes Vemren Rygh, who has made his artistic mark on the exterior of the tall staircases, with metal sheets perforated with patterns that create an illusion of rough wooden panelling. The sheets are rusted Corten steel, its colour reminiscent of fancy woods or wood in a dark stain, giving the impression of a weather beaten wall. With this work, Rygh has set out to give the nursing home traces of time and let the façade come to life through the imitated wood.

In the outdoor area, sculptures by Danish sculptor Jørn Rønnau mingle with trees, shrubs and flowers across two separate gardens. The artist has named one of them ‘Torvet’ (“The town square”) and filled it with a group of sculptures. Leaves from different trees; birch, oak, beech, ash and willow, have inspired the shapes of five sculpted seats made from polished granite. On the smooth seating areas, Rønnau has placed small bronze figures: a squirrel, a frog and a mouse. The leaf-shaped “benches” are grouped around a central bronze sculpture – a red love heart. Large round beds for flowers and shrubbery are also part of the artist’s project. The second garden has an oval shape and is titled ‘Den grønne øya’ (“The green island”). Here, Rønnau lets the same species of trees grow tall: birch, oak, beech, ash and willow form an S-shaped avenue diagonally across the “island”, dividing it like Yin and Yang. On either side of the avenue, a circular hedge creates an intimate seating area. One of them features a shimmering yellow granite sculpture in three parts, which together form the word “sol” (“sun”), and function individually as a table and chairs. A bronze bird sits perched on the table. Whereas the theme for this space is daytime, nighttime is the theme for the other, which features a granite sculpture in the shape of a star. From above, this “green island” looks like Yin and Yang, the ancient oriental symbol for the world is opposing, but mutually complementary, forces.