Light Waving Reed

In an international competition I was chosen as one of three artists to prepare a proposal for a work of art, associated with the building of a new hospital in Nalnes, Sarpsborg, Norway, which was splendidly designed by Arkitektgruppen for Nyttøstfoldsykehus. 

Creating a piece of art for an atrium of a hospital in Norway is not an easy task. All patients have a room to themselves and look down onto the atrium. I searched for a grid oriented on the magnetic north pole. For Kalnes, Sarpsborg, Norway, that means a rotation of eleven degrees. Fifteen sculptures are placed on the grid, consisting of two or three tubes, carefully bent into different directions. These fifteen sculptures are the reference to the patients’ individual characters. The small elevations around the foot of the sculpture, consisting of small glass stones, refer to the medical care. A forest of pieces of art with bent forms, led-lighting and gently swaying in the breeze smoothly guides the eye towards nature in the surroundings: the pine forest, the beautiful lake and the ever changing colours of the sky as a background. The illuminated sculptures lead to a mysterious path between the trees to the lake. The lights are reflected in the windows of the patients’ rooms. In a certain way, this artwork presents itself like a starry sky on the ground. It gives hope and consolation to the patients and hopefully brings a smile to their faces.

Despite my disappointment that I was not awarded the contract but even more that I was not able to realize this stunning design, I would like to encourage each visual artist to participate in such competitions. It is positive for one’s own reputation as an artist, but also the personal urge of contributing to a more attractive world is met by doing so.