Kistefos Museum (Part II): The Park...

3:30 p.m.

09/01/22 - Fifty contemporary monumental sculptures were installed In the green immensity of the Kistefos Museum, all of them strategically distributed. The entrance to the park begins with two works by the group Elmgreen & Dragset. The first one, Points of View, Part I is an invitation to explore: what happens on the other side of the cement wall? And the second, extremely moving, is a bassinet with a baby that has been forgotten on the floor, just under the ticket window.

View of the entrance to the museum

Points of View, Part I, by Elmgreen & Dragset

As soon as we cross the entrance, it is recommended to start the route to the left, where an intertwined tree by Giuseppe Penone frames the access to The Twist. On the other side of the bridge we can see, in the distance, the polished surface of Anish Kapoor's work on a small island. From the shore we see ourselves reflected and we continue with the playful spirit that was started by Point of View: we raise our arms and wave our hands to see ourselves reflected in this convex surface.

Identity, by Giuseppe Penone (2019)

S-Curve, by Anish Kapoor (2006)

As if that was not enough and thanks to the summer temperatures, we ventured into the dancing waters of Jeppe Hein, crowned by Path of Silence, a series of stakes covered in mirrors that form a maze, fascinatingly modifiable by the green that surrounds it and the light blue from the sky. Both works by the Danish artist contrast with the solemnity of a group of men, who, like Atlas, push up a huge ball with a demanding effort.

Path of Silence, by Jeppe Hein

The ball, by Ilva Kabakov (2017)

On a hill, we find tacks by Claes Oldenburg, recently deceased. This exponent of Pop Art exhibits objects of everyday life turned into entities out of a comic book about to slide down the hill.

Tumbling Tacks, by Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen

We continue to find works as we go and recognize artists such as Yayoi Kusama with a colorful octopus (?) and Tony Cragg, of whom this museum displays three sculptures.

Shine of Life, by Yayoi Kusama

I'm alive, by Tony Cragg (2004)

We leave for last two extraordinary pieces because of their quality and montage: All of Nature Flows Through Us, a site specific by Marc Quinn, an expert in making an impact with monumental sculpture, and the horse that walks on our heads. Kristin Günter's video is showcased on the roof of what was once a paper mill. Currently inactive, the obsolete machines are there as a reminder of a vibrant industrial society, now transformed into a museum.