“Are we on the right path?” is the question artist Jeppe Hein poses with Bænke til leg og tanke. These blue benches guide visitors from the metro to Den Blå Planet. They are more than just directions though.
Bænke til leg og tanke invites you to pause. It encourages reflection on your life. Will you take the opportunity to contemplate as you pass by?
These benches are not just art. They are functional and playful. Jeppe Hein calls his bench production “Modified Social Benches”. Similar benches have appeared in Manhattan and Aarhus.
What makes Bænke til leg og tanke special? Professor Morten Kyndrup says these benches have a quadruple function. First, they guide people from the metro to the museum. Second, they offer rest for weary travelers. Third, they invite children to play. The route ends at a playground in front of the museum. Fourth, each bench has a sculptural aesthetic. Together, they create a unified expression. This complexity gives the benches an almost fairytale quality. They are both ordinary and surprising in the cityscape.
Jeppe Hein created twelve blue benches for Den Blå Planet. The benches begin at the Kastrup metro station stairs. They culminate in a playground in front of Den Blå Planet.
With economic support from the New Carlsberg Foundation, Jeppe Hein created these benches. Their quirky designs encourage reflection. The benches exist between art and useful furniture. They aim to create a social space. This space allows for dialogue, togetherness, and joyful play.
The benches resemble familiar urban benches. But they are modified with irregular twists. They wind in different directions creating circles and arcs. Parts of the benches twist up and down with curves. Some sink into the ground then reappear elsewhere. This gives the impression the benches continue underground. They function as a connected whole. Twelve parts break through the surface on the way to Den Blå Planet.
Jeppe Hein says the benches lead visitors from point A to point B. But they also help people discover if they are on the right path in life. He wants people to stop and think.
Hein’s work explores the intersection of art architecture and social behavior. His installations appear simple. But they include surprising elements. These elements focus on the viewer’s physical experience.
The work encourages us to use our senses. It creates contact between people. How should we sit or lie? How do others see us? How do we interact with others? The stories we find and the interaction between viewer and artwork are central to Jeppe Hein’s art.
Nicolai Wallner once said Jeppe Hein’s work comes alive when people use it. Bænke til leg og tanke is a meeting place for all ages. It offers artistic and social experiences. It inspires dialogue, togetherness, and play.
These blue benches show the way to Den Blå Planet. Follow them. See where they lead you not just physically but also mentally.