If you’re in the Copenhagen area for an extended period of time, a side trip to Aarhus is a must. This northern town on the Jylland peninsula (Jutland) has a lot of charm and it has one of the most impressive modern art museums I’ve been to: ARoS.
Ten stories tall and with seemingly countless unique spaces, ARoS offers some staples that never move (Boy and Rainbow Panorama) and many interesting and thought-provoking rotating exhibits as well.
Arguably, the most famous piece in the museum is Ron Mueck’s Boy. This hyperrealistic 4.5 meters high (close to 15 ft), fiberglass boy, is quite a sight. He’s mesmerizing and incredibly detailed. I did wonder if the room which he occupies is intentionally so small. The museum has many beautiful, grand spaces, some with very high ceilings, but the room where he sits seems oddly claustrophobic. I did worry about what would happen if he were to suddenly stand up.
Rainbow Panorama, at the top of the building, is a fantastic experience. I have seen pictures of it before, but the experience far exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend a trip to Aarhus, just for a walk through the panorama tunnel.
One of the themes of the museum (at least when we were there) is human migration. Cool Calm and Collected exhibit – which ended on April 2 (we visited ARoS in March of 2018) – featured many contemporary young Danish artists. It seems that the question of migration and how Denmark deals with immigration are often featured themes for today’s Danish artists.
There were numerous other contemporary exhibits and the variety of spaces made this visit unforgettable. Unfortunately, I procrastinated with posting this and without a doubt, many of the exhibits have changed by now. Sorry.
Post-Amerikan 