Aabenraa­Organ

Description

Helene Nymann addresses topics such as collective memory and imaginings of the future. In her works, she examines how people remember, in particular how, collectively, we create and preserve memories. Helene Nymann works sculpturally and spatially in numerous media.

In collaboration with the organ builder Marcussen & Søn, Helene Nymann has created a sculptural and interactive sound artwork entitled AabenraaOrgan. The walls of the passage are adorned by copper organ pipes illuminated by atmospheric light. The pipes are activated by a sensor, registering traffic in the passage. When a certain number of people have passed through, the pipes play the chorus from ‘Give Peace a Chance’ by John Lennon.

This interactive work applies and rethinks local artisanship, historic instruments, and present-day technologies interacting with passers-by in the public space. By transposing the organ pipes to the street, local people and visitors are invited to interact with the work and thus make the organ pipes play. The chosen song, ‘Give Peace a Chance’, reflects both the creation of the work during a period of war in Ukraine but also the border struggles of Aabenraa’s past. In the long term, other composers may be asked to compose new tunes based on the pipes’ five notes. In this way, AabenraaOrgan will reflect contemporary themes and collective currents.

Organ builder: Marcussen & Søn
LED and programming: Studio Temporal

About the decorative project

Nørreportkvarteret som kunstdestination – værker af unge danske samtidskunstnere (the Nørrebro District as Art Destination – works by young Danish contemporary artists) is developed by Aabenraa Municipality in collaboration with Creator Projects, community ambassadors and the Aabenraa Municipal Visual Arts Committee. The project is backed financially by: the Danish Arts Foundation, Den Jyske Kunstfond, BHJ Fonden, and the Aabenraa Municipal Visual Arts Committee.

The full list of artists who have contributed to the project comprises Rune Bosse, Silas Inoue, Oskar Koliander, Mathias & Mathias, Helene Nymann, Torben Ribe, and Studio ThinkingHand. The works are the property of Aabenraa Municipality.