Tracey Neuls Travel | 3 Days In Copenhagen | What to See?
Tracey's Guide to Copenhagen: Food, Art & Architecture
Day 1
Copenhagen is famous for its coloured houses and of course the most wonderful Scandinavian shades, fit for inspiration for a collection. These houses look like leather to me.
Finding respite from the rain meant dipping into our favourite Victor restaurant. Its heritage is appealing but still amazingly tasty food with decor to match.
Love a bit of packaging, butter too beautiful to eat!
A new area in Copenhagen called Nordhavn, something similar to our Wapping or Hackney Wick in terms of new development. One apartment building known as The Silo was designed by architects COBE. This grain Silo previous life has been reinvented with a metal clad facade that rumbled from the inside out. Not sure of its beauty, but it is definitely different which in itself is to be celebrated.
Wearing KARL Persimmon
Today's journey definitely highlighted the old and new parts of Copenhagen that exist in total harmony.
Day 2
Rather taken by the waterfront new development in Nordhavn, we explored more in the AM.
Found a great bakery and coffee shop called Andersen and Maillard. Stunning baked goods, especially the rhubarb slice.
My mules took me around town, over textures and past easy bikes.
More wonderful colours in unlikely places - I can’t get enough pink shades! Sausage meat in the supermarket - unlikely inspiration.
While sitting in Victor sipping our bloody Mary, a stranger at a nearby table began talking to us. He said if we liked Victor, we must go to Toldbod Bodega. A woman in her 80’s, recently widowed, insists to keep her family restaurant going. All food is prepared by herself and is of the most traditional Danish you can find. Great value, this honest place is just the find. When exploring, it's good to taste the flavours of the country. Not interested in Italian in Denmark!
Architecture is one of Copenhagen’s strong points. You must be hiding to not have heard of the hottest office called BIG. We went on a little pilgrimage to see what all the fuss was about.
This recycling plant asks the same questions as I do when designing footwear - why not? Just because it's not like other designs seen before, doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Love the idea that you could combine total recreation with recycling. That angle you see as the roof is literally the ski slope!
The ‘Mountain' looks like a very private living space for an apartment dwelling. The side shown is rich in backyard sentiment with an odd street facing contrasting facade if I don’t say so myself. Still worth the trek to its outskirts location near the airport.
Day 3
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
One of my favourite museums is Louisiana just outside of Copenhagen (not my picture) in Humlebaek. Similar in feel to the Maeght Museum near Nice, France - modern art is positioned in an airy modern building combining the inside and outside seamlessly.
The use of family curtains in varying colours adds a touch of warmth to what is usually a minimal space dedicated to being a backdrop to art. This private gallery does what it wants, breaks the mould and succeeds in every way.
Giacometti feet alongside my feet.
I have my favourite artists but am happy and embarrassed at the same time today to be introduced to a couple of new artists whose work I haven’t seen before but now adore.
Pipilotti Rist is a video artist who creates mini spaces reminiscent of her early experiences. Contrary to that are large scale experiences that have you lie down and feel like you are underwater, watching a film that has you mesmerised.
The outdoor shot is her insulation of outdoor lighting, shaded by pants.
Hans Peter Feldmann is down to earth with a great sense of humour. He says that he was pushed into engineering, but at the day of his final exam, he exploded and threw his pencil down saying ‘no’ - he not only wanted to be an artist but needed to be one. Footwear design is similar to me in that I have always known that this is what I want to design.
Look closely at his copies of classics - if you are open to seeing what is in front of you, you will see. Details of his I admire. Humour in a world of serious is also attractive.
And a simple idea with a big impact. The room began at one end with a photo of a one-year-old and for every year up to a 100, there is a shot of a human at that age.
Yayoi Kusama
And finally, there is a permanent piece by Yayoi Kusama that I haven’t experienced before. The simple use of mirrors and 100 bulbs takes you from starscape to fireworks to floating in sand. The picture is somehow ruined by the act of taking the picture!