Sleeping Beauty – Art Now. Scandinavia Today, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA, 14 Sep – 7 Nov 1982
Sleeping Beauty – Art Now. Scandinavia Today, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA, 14 Sep – 7 Nov 1982 (detail)
Bjørn Nørgaard. Objekt – Skulptur – Tableau, National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark, 15 Jan – 1 Mar 1987, photo © Hans Petersen
Bjørn Nørgaard. Recycling Art, Horsens Kunstmuseum, Horsens, Denmark, 27 Mar – 1 Aug 2010, photo © Svend Pedersen

The Human Wall

Sculpture, 1982

The sculpture is made in 1982 for a major Nordic exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Afterwards it gets exhibited throughout most of the United States. "The difference between New York and Copenhagen was huge, when I arrived here for the first time. In Copenhagen, we had the “guest workers” - as they were called. But we hardly noticed them on the streets. New York City showcases the multicultural heritage of over 100 world communities at once. The Human Wall is a tribute to the diversity I experienced in the United States, which I think we can learn a lot from today. Of course we have to know and be proud of our own culture, but we have to make sure that we use this self-image in an inclusive way rather than in an exclusive way. Unfortunately, it's the last thing that has happened. We forget that our part of the world only came this far because we have had an open mind.” From 1984–1995 the wall is installed in front of the National Gallery of Denmark in Copenhagen until the museum closes for reconstruction. The National Gallery of Denmark has lent The Human Wall to Horsens Kunstmuseum until 2085. 

Exhibitions
Sleeping Beauty - Art Now. Scandinavia Today, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA; 1982, Port of History Museum, Philadelphia, USA, 1982–1983; Municipal Museum Art Gallery, Los Angeles, USA, 1983, Bjørn Nørgaard - The Human Wall, National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen, 1984, Recycling Art, Horsens Kunstmuseum, Horsens, Denmark, 2010

Materials

Claze on fibre, reinforced concrete, stoneware, copper, wood

Dimensions

530 x 1454 x 58 cm