1974

Jeppe Hein

Internationally renowned Danish artist Jeppe Hein is known for participatory installations that actively involve audiences. His works have clear references to the formalism of the 1960s, but in contrast to minimalism’s ideas of art as something exalted to be revered, Jeppe Hein brings art down to earth and insists on an active dialogue. His works often engage directly and enthusiastically with audiences, accounting for much of their appeal and popularity. For example, his colourful and frequently humorous conversation benches can be found in cities around the world.

Water Pavilion Ordrupgaard, 2024

Water Pavilion Ordrupgaard, a new gathering-place for playful interaction with art, which appeals intuitively to children and adults alike. From an oval-shaped base, walls of flowing water shoot high into the air, then rise and fall in rhythmic alternation. These water walls shift continually, creating ever-new, ever-changing spaces for visitors to enter. Smiles are inevitable, whether participants choose to move around the pavilion relatively dry-footed, or to dive straight into the water. Along the way, participants meet spontaneously across generations, much as cultural and linguistic barriers dissolve in the direct sensory encounter with art.

This installation can be experienced twice daily, Tuesdays – Sundays at noon and 2 PM, with an additional round on Wednesdays at 4 PM. Each round lasts for 18 minutes.

Semicircular Mirror Labyrinth II, 2013

Highly-polished stainless steel, aluminium,
6 semi-circular elements (90 slats)

The mirror labyrinth created by Danish artist
Jeppe Hein is placed at the exact spot where a
garden pool was located in the Hansens’ day,
the surface of which mirrored its surroundings.
Unlike a classic labyrinth, there are several
ways into and out of the mirror labyrinth.
Nothing is predetermined for the viewer,
and in the slats of the labyrinth, the mirror
image is fully reproduced and fragmented.
Viewers find themselves at one and the same
time somewhere between reality and optical
illusion.

1 Dimensional Mirror Mobile, 2009

Mirror, steel wire

Hein’s mirror mobile pops up as a sudden
surprise, hanging from a tree amid the varying
greenery of the Park. Rotating about its
own axis, the work presents new perspectives
on its surroundings, and what previously was
invisible to the viewer emerges into the light.