The Other Louisiana

Recently I had the great pleasure of visiting Louisiana. I say great pleasure because the Louisiana I went to has nothing to do with the devastation of hurricane Katrina and the political shit storm that followed. Nor does is have anything to do with racial bigotry. Nor Cajun food. In fact the Louisiana I went to has nothing to do with the US.

North of Kobenhavn, on a small bluff overlooking the Oresund Sound is a very special place, the Louisiana Museum. It's a place of immense beauty, from its picturesque setting to the striking mix of modern and traditional Danish architecture, and of course its substantial collection of modern art.

When I visited in August of this year, they had an amazing exhibition about museum architecture featuring avant guard and notable museum design from all over the world. They had huge, gorgeous models to view the buildings in walk-around 3D and the walls were dripping with dynamic aerial photographs of the finished projects. It was a fascinating show, equally for its content as well as its message. It made me consider the dynamic relationship between art and the environment art is viewed in. How much does the aesthetic of a setting, the mood of the space, and a hundred other factors like materials, lighting, room proportion, etc have a bearing on the effect of the art itself? Perhaps it would be better to ask how much it can have an effect.

If you have the means, I highly recommend a visit to this Louisiana. Just don't expect to find any fried chicken.

http://www.louisiana.dk/uk/