Astrid Krogh

Layers of Ambiguity

‘Waste Not, Want It’ – a project using a combination of Bloomberg and other salvaged, reclaimed or waste material. Layers of Ambiguity weaves 200 metres of stripped computer cabling. The wowen wall screens explore the interplay of light and textiles; 200 metres of cables has been stripped of its insulated covering and the remaining silver and copper wires are woven on top of layers of highly reflective mirrored foil.

Skylight

Skylight is like a breath of light pulsating in a light shaft at the Nya Karolinska Hospital, in Stockholm, Sweden. It reminds us, that all living creatures are dependent on light. Skylight consists of five large slices of light, with a sky on both sides. In a subtle way Skylight imitates the variability of the sky during day and year. And with beautiful colour graduations it imitates the changes of daylight on the heaven. Furthermore Skylight replaces the lack of daylight in the light shaft and hereby mimics nature. The light changes from warm to cold colours. Skylight is a meditative work with room for wonder and the installation adds an extra dimension of filtered light intothe hospital.

Cloud Illusions/Nykøbing

Cloud Illusions/Nykøbing - reflects light and space, creating reflections of how identities are being mirrored. It is in the interplay between light and shadow, between the sky and the clouds, that we identify someone, something, or even fragments of one self. The artwork Cloud Illusions/Nykøbing consists of a series of composite mirror surfaces which, through embossing and perforations, constitute a large cloud landscape of ever-changing character. The number of mirrors here seems endless, allowing the clouds and the light to appear quite different depending on the perspective – Cloud Illusion. The work itself contains no colour, but reflects the surrounding colours; Cloud Illusions/Nykøbing invites the surroundings to interact. Via reflections from the windows across the room the daylight and the outside world are brought into the room. The soft quality of the thin mirror surfaces gives a slight vibratory motion in the work and the artwork becomes almost textile. In the evening the artwork is brought alive from being backlit. In order to create references to the original architecture and to optimize the general appearance of the beautiful auditorium of Nykøbing Katedralskole, there has also been a revitalization of other interior of the auditorium. The inspiration for colour and material choices are Denmark’s beautiful and special nature, its beech trees, forests, the sea, beaches and its rich soil.

Layers of Color and Light

Layers of Colour and Light is a giant curtain that draws a line of colour throughout the new building of the Malmö Högskola. It explores the unique opportunities of textiles as an independent artistic contribution to contemporary spaces, not just as textileaccessories, but as cocreators Layers of Colours and Light consists of large textile curtains running through three auditoriums and the cafe and restaurant area of the new Malmö Högskola. The curtains fold and coil like the architecture itself. A lavish consumption of textile curtains in a layered principle makes the individual layers of colours/textile melt together to create new colours. In conjunction with the daylight the curtains create a poetic filtering of light and the outside world. The colours for Layers of Colour and Light were found through an archaeological colour analysis of the site. Layers of colours from former times are brought into the new building thereby creating references to the surrounding area, as well as to the past. In the evening the curtains are illuminated from the inside and with their significant exposure, Layers of Colours and Light, creates a strong visual expression in the city re-telling the building’s own story of light and shadows.

Printemps

Window displays by Astrid Krogh for the celebration of the brands 150th Anniversary.

(K)not flag

Every flag has a story attached to it, sometimes even a legend. Either the story says something about the specific colours, or symbols, of the flag or maybe something about the genesis of the flag. The ”ordinary” flag is therefore often used in a strong visual way to reflect, as an example, the identity of its country. (K)NOT FLAG is different, as it is a flag of woven mirror foil where identities are reflected and woven together into a knot. Into a complex symbol of change that re-installs the vivid abyss of mythology. (K)NOT FLAG is an abstraction of the ”ordinary” flag where reflections of the surroundings are woven together. As a symbol of the twenty first century’s abilities to reflect the surrounding world. The soft quality of the thin mirror textiles gives the feeling of a drapery that slightly vibrates in the wind while passing by. While blowing in the wind, (K)NOT FLAG will create a beautiful movement outside of the building. As the viewer moves along the boulevard, the reflection of moving cars and changing lighting conditions transform the appearance of (K)NOT FLAG into an effervescent light. The interaction of the work with the surrounding light is strong and at the same time very subtle. The reflections of the softly moving light and the shadows on the pavement are constantly spreading towards the surrounding space.

Cloud Illusions/Paris

Cloud Illusions/Paris was featured as a specially commissioned piece in the Longchamp flagship store on Champs Elysees, Paris. The artwork is reshaping light and texture, forming a focal point inside the Paris store. Cloud Illusions/Paris, a series of composite mirror surfaces that through embossing and perforations forms a large landscape of ever changing character. The interactions of Cloud Illusions, with the ambient light, are at the same time strong and subtle, thus bringing references to the clouds in the sky. The soft reflections casts light, shadows onto the floor, then spreading to the entire room. The soft quality of the thin mirror surfaces creates a slight vibratory motion, making the work seems almost as made from textile. The changing colours are not “added”, but reflections as a result of the surroundings from the art work interacting with the surrounding environment.

Teglverkets Skole

On the 3 outdoor stair towers on Teglverkets School the fronts of each of the stairwells is replaced with Diachronic glass. Diachronic glass is a material that is able to detect light in new and unpredictable ways through its wide-ranging material properties: transmission; reflection; wrestling; and diffusion. Therefore, this material has a special ability / way to engage the viewer with the surroundings. The coated glass divides the spectrum of the light beam. The transmitted light is changed to a color and the reflected light in a color different from the remaining spectrum. It allows erratic and generous color / light experiences, both when moving up or down the stairs inside the stairwell, but also when stairwells is seen from outside. WILD is a light ornament in neon located on one of the central white walls in the atrium at Teglverkets School. The wall is facing the great staircase in the atrium and adjacent to the large roof window. WILD brings the sense of nature inside the atrium and becomes a symbol of the wild flowers that grew along the river outside the school once upon a time.

Wheel of Life

The light and the pattern change every eight minutes “Man’s life rolls impermanent, a motion like that of the spokes of a wagon wheel” (Anacreaon 580-495 BC)

21C Lightmail

In the centre of the new 21C Museum Hotel building in Cincinnati, Ohio three large scale weavings are placed in a light well. The installation functions like a breath of light; a subtle change of the light in the artwork lends a meditative calming point of wonder to the space. The 21C Museum Hotel Cincinnati is a 156 rooms boutique hotel, contemporary art museum and cultural civic centre located in the centre of downtown Cincinnati – adjacent to the city’s Contemporary Arts Centre and across the street from the Aronoff Centre for the Arts.

China Blue

One of the most eye-catching works of art in the House of the Danish Industry Foundation is a large curtain encircling the main auditorium. The work is donated by the New Carlsberg Foundation. At first sight the artwork looks like a gigantic white and blue watercolour painting. It represents the Danish and Chinese skies fusing. The work also has a practical function and therefore consists of two layers of textile. Where the transparent layer makes it possible to screen the auditorium from sunlight, while at the same time maintaining the view, the heavier velour layer has an acoustic function. A total of 1,800 square metres of textile went into making the curtain. The artwork is named after the cobalt blue china painting technique ‘China Blue‘. It is a Chinese technique from which Danish Royal Copenhagen’s well-known blue-fluted porcelain series has drawn inspiration.

Kamelia

Flower of Life

The Flower of Life is an ancient geometrical figure known within many different cultures, often as a sacred symbol, and to some a visual expression of the threads that life weaves through all human beings. It is composed of multiple evenly spaced, overlapping circles, arranged to form a flower-like pattern with a six fold symmetry, like a hexagon. The centre of each circle is on the circumference of six surrounding circles of the same diameter. The light comes from a total of nineteen different circles allowing the many different variations of the ornament. In the beautiful atrium of the new Maasland hospital, Flower of Life is a gigantic mobile moving slowly around its own axis, interacting with the “healing architecture” of the building, as the light of the ornament changes almost meditatively. During the day the light will change in colors and intensity. The light for each of the circles can be controlled individually, producing patterns forward within the Flower of Life. “To be around Flower of Life should be like taking a walk through nature, surrounded by its ever changing colors, slight movements and with a view of the sky. Hopefully, it will create a relaxing and comforting ambience for the patients of the hospital, as well as for the visitors and the personal.”

Incitament

Incitament is a work in which both light and shadows weave their way into each other’s history. It is meant as a picture of how Gigantium bind different cultures together and thus operate somewhere between country and city between inside and outside and between culture and nature and it is an incentive to explore the movement of the light. The work reflects in the glass facades, steel columns, window glass, lenses, glasses and other itinerant glass. Incitament gets in that way its own completely unpredictable life.

Myriade

The sacred room at Halden State Prison is a spiritual space facilitating silence, prayer and reflection. Being a frame for ritual ceremonies of all kinds, the space will embrace believers and nonbelievers alike. Myriad consists of a perforated wooden wall with fiber optical bright spots arranged in an ornamental form. The fibre optics can be programmed to switch color and intensity in fast or slow intervals. A contemplative relation is established between the outside nature and the light from Myriad. The motif is flexible, universal and thus creating optimal use of the room in relation to its many different users.

5240 Vollsmose

5240 Vollsmose is a gigantic ornament that moves slowly around its own axis and communicate with the surroundings of Vollsmose. During the day and night, the LED light will change in colors and intensity, and each string of the ornament can be controlled individually, bringing other patterns forward within the 5240 Vollsmose. 5240 Vollsmose is inspired from geometrical patterns in carpet design and architecture, especially from the Islamic world. In my decorating for Vollsmose I have been working towards a universal symbol - an ornament which can gather all the differences. 5240 Vollsmose is inspired by geometric patterns in carpet designs and architecture, especially from the Islamic world. Geometry has always been a fundamental tool in architecture. Geometric patterns are used in both religious and secular context. 5240 Vollsmose is a ornament from an imaginary light carpet with loops from around the world. An ornament, forming a new pattern, which testifies to a vibrant and multicultural mini community center of Odense. 5240 Vollsmose is a visual and concrete rallying point - it is an imaginative tale of Islamic patterns with Nordic simplification of Vollsmose where threads get together and dissolves again, an organic form that is constantly changing. 5240 Vollsmose rotates on the roof of Vollsmose Culture and is oriented towards all directions in Vollsmose.

Flora

Lightfall

Light is conducted though the optical fibres with the weaving very slowly changing colour.

Reflections 1+2

Wall decorations, Grønnegades Kasern, Næstved

Polytics

The Central Art Committee of the Danish Parliament wanted a decoration that gave light and colour to one of the long, very dark, corridors of the Folketing building. The solution draws its inspiration from an old patterned frieze that was painted by artist Rasmus Larsen 1918-21. The frieze stretches through the central lobby, known as Vandrehallen, of the Folketing. Seemingly superficially, the pattern of the frieze is repeated, but at a closer look it emerges that the artist constantly varies the motif imperceptibly. Polytics consists of neon tubes in combinations of circles, floral patterns and lines. The work is set in a niche and is only experienced in its entirety when the viewer gets relatively close to it. When moving down the passage it is the lit space around the work that becomes the focus. Every 45 seconds the light and colours of the neon tubes change in different combinations. Every other combination is pre-defined while the rest appears at random. There are more than 100,000 possible combinations. With a point of departure in the murals of the Folketing lobby, Astrid Krogh has shaped a modern, radiantly coloured frieze for the third floor passage. 256 neon tubes distributed within a unit of ten different patterns which can be combined infinitely.

Danish State Railways

The DSB (Danish Rail) headquarters in Copenhagen is located in an eighteenth century building, just across from the Kongens Have park. The re-furnishing of the 50m2 meeting room was done with the rooms 1940’s ceiling painting as a starting reference, but otherwise totally transforms the space. The floor of the room is covered by a, one-off, specially made carpet in light blue and beige, which only distinct pattern unit mimic the carved window panelling of the room. The walls are acoustically regulated and coloured with pastels producing a shot effect, and instead of the portraits that used to make up the main part of the wall decoration of the room, tapestries of woven steel filters are now hung, producing interference patterns both in daylight and when the light behind them is on. The result is a space that is constantly transformed by the changing of the light, echoing the rhythms of the days and the seasons. Alternatively, the mode is determined by the setting of the electric light which is adjustable for the ceiling and from behind the steel tapestries. In the reception room of the DSB headquarters, everything is new; the flooring, furniture, lighting and the large glass wall running throughout the length of the room where the light in the optical fibres changes colour through the course of the day.

Mærsk Data

The new Mærsk Data building is situated by one of the main roads leading out of Copenhagen with thousands of cars passing by every day. The building is characterized by its pure grey concrete lines and large glass areas. In the panopticon section of the building the company wanted a decoration. The wall rises vertically through several storeys and is a central part of the building where many of the staff passes by every day. The wall can also be seen from the road. The large woven steel wallcovering part of the decoration has an acoustic-regulating effect and has been executed as a living, constantly moving wall surface. The effects of the decoration varies greatly depending on the season, the time of day and the weather. During the day the decoration will often look almost steel-grey against the surface with a slight effect of interference in the weave of the steel netting. Towards the evening the colours of the neon tubes begins to appear more clearly and at night the decoration stands out as a shining wall that can be seen from the road.

Lysvæld

Lysvæld: A Breath of Light // Golden light has always held spiritual associations. Its brilliance is believed to represent the Divine presence on Earth, illuminating the skies with the radiance of heavenly realms. The phenomenon has always fascinated Astrid Krogh, inspiring her to explore the theme of golden light in the new altar backdrop she created for the prayer room of Copenhagen’s National Hospital in 2017. Krogh began by browsing through religious texts to find the meanings attributed to light, then painstakingly captured its golden tones in layers of gold leaf. Large-scale graphic shapes were cut out to mimic the outlines of clouds, which were then illuminated by the soft light produced by amber LEDs. The integrated lighting gently transitions from soft to intense and back again, adding a subtle sense of movement to the otherwise static surface. The golden glow that results gives the wall a gentle lustre and a unique sense of warmth, almost as if rays of summer sunshine were streaming over the room.

Goldenrod

GOLDENROD, Albert B Chandlers Hospital, Lexington, is goldenrods made of gold leaves directly mounted on the wall. Like Goldenrods in nature the flower here grow in an area, where you least expect flowers to blossom. The flowers have 3 different golden colors. During daytime GOLDENRODS interaction with the ambient daylight is strong yet subtle. During nighttime GOLDENROD will with its inbuilt LED technology light up the garden. Shift in light intensity create a meditative atmosphere and mimic a movement of light and time. The reflective colors will give back a warm atmosphere to the healing garden.

Äng

Løvfald

Känsla av Vatten

Rytm

The artwork RYTM consists of 22 large backlit photo collages printed on glasss. The images are all memories from Uppsala Commune. Together they form a kaleidoscopic pattern image of Uppsala. RYTM is like a multifaceted, brilliant symbol that unites Uppsala's different districts, its differences and cultures.

UnderVattensVärld

The underwater flora and fauna look different from sea to sea and is fascinating to observe and study. The site specific artwork ”UnderVattensVärld” brings the environment from the bottom of the Swedish archipelago into the main entrance at Täby´s new public swimming pool. The large and impressive mosaic wall is inspired by the colors, which can often be seen in Nordic waters: turquoise, green tones and reddish brown tones. The ”tile painting” is about 70 square meters and spans two levels. The artwork poetically connects the swimming pool (the man-made water world) with its origin - the rich and natural environment below the water surface. This beautiful environment we learn to discover and to act in by spending time in a swimming pool.

Eternal Summer

The site-specific artwork Evig Sommar/Eternal Summer consists of 2 golden plants, which are reflected in each other. Together they form a large golden relief that subtly reflects the daylight. The golden aura around the artwork brings eternal summer to the main entrance of the building.

Platinan

In central Gothenburg the building “Platinan” stands firmly next to Hisingsbron. Platinan (platinum in Swedish) is a visionary architectural element in Gothenburg’s new urban environment – Älvstaden. The artwork PLATINAN is hung at the impressive entrance area and the design of the artwork is based on the nature of gravitational waves emitted by colliding neutron stars: the birth of the element platinum. Only via the inevitable reflection in the glass facade the design of the artwork PLATINAN is perceived as complete. With these reflections the artwork mimics the endless universe. PLATINAN consists of curved gold-plated (23 carat) surfaces and curved luminaries with LED strips mounted along the entire length of the arches, both downwards and upwards. LED spots also placed along the length. Both LED bands and spots are dimmable, so PLATINAN is not overpowering, but can be adjusted to be aligned with the other lights of the building. During daytime the daylight interact with the golden surfaces and in an elegant way the artwork PLATINAN fits into this urban environment – like a sophisticated piece of jewelry. PLATINAN consists of curved gold-plated (23 carat) surfaces and curved luminaries with LED strips mounted along the entire length of the arches, both downwards and upwards. LED spots also placed along the length. Both LED bands and spots are dimmable, so PLATINAN is not overpowering, but can be adjusted to be aligned with the other lights of the building.  During daytime the daylight interact with the golden surfaces and in an elegant way the artwork PLATINAN fits into this urban environment – like a sophisticated piece of jewelry. The artwork can be seen from a long distance, and it creates a cozy atmosphere in this large and impressive entrance area around the main entrance of the building Platinan. 

The artwork PLATINAN turns the grand scale into on a more human scale.

"Gryn"møllen

In former times a large warehouse also called “Grynmøllen” was situated at Strandgade 29, Copenhagen. The name referred to the fact that the former building was a mill that ground groats for the navy. The site specific artwork “Gryn”møllen is composed as two half millstones (facade and harbour), a reference to the history of the place.

Life is anything but linear and everything (is) connected

And the universe is flooded with patterns, from the smallest particles to intergalactic structures. The patterns manifest throughout, infinite in numbers and in constant change, chaotic and organized at one and the same time. In collaboration with scientists from Novo Nordisk I have chosen microscope/science images from different research fields at Novo Nordisk. The microscopic images have been processed and is presented as big landscape paintings playing with both the natural and the artificial light. This site-specific artwork for Novo Nordisk, Søborg shows the incredible world of nature that stands behind every form of science at Novo Nordisk. An unpredictable journey through micro- and macro cosmos.

Remembering landscapes

Astrid Krogh has designed the exhibition Remembering Landscapes for Maria Wettergren Gallery. The exhibition is presented as a total installation composed of three series of works that interact with each other: Cloud Illusion, a series of panels of aluminum foil reflective, thin and flexible, which reflect and transform the space with chiseled surfaces ; Skylight, a large circular sculpture whose color flow, slow and meditative, recalls the atmospheric changes of heaven; and Plant, a wall sculpture brass vegetable forms as imagined by a child, or Matisse. The illumination on the back leaves a slightly unreal halo on the wall behind the work, much like an afterimage. More than just a reference to the landscape as a motive or inspiration, it would be here the landscape as a place of transformation through the prism of light, physical but also mental landscape, a landscape-mindscape, a walk-haiku . This transformation, external and internal, is effected by the changing nature of light, natural or artificial, and by the movement of the viewer's body in space, slightly troubled by a loss of reference but moved by a gain of view . Because the work of Astrid Krogh is not only facing the beauty, it makes us give us the richness of our own perception expanding. Some works have the ability to transcend the academic classifications. Cloud Illusion seems to be an invitation to meditate on the flow of life. The fluidity of the material combined with calligraphy drawn and the vertical format of the work, can recall the spirit of Chinese wash of the Sung dynasty in which the idea of capturing the nature and the breath of life through of one color is essential. Only in the work of Astrid Krogh, color and life are not added but reflected. Remembering Landscapes is the second solo exhibition of Astrid Krogh by Maria Wettergren Gallery. Astrid Krogh Remembering Landscapes Exhibition from March 23 to May 26, 2016

Honorary Grant

The Annual Honorary grant of the National Bank of Denmark 2015 was attributed to the Danish artist Astrid Krogh. The exhibition FLUX LUMINOUS at Danmarks Nationalbank was an invitation to meditate on the flux of life. The exhibition consists of three elements; a gigantic blue “Sky Curtain”, a circle of light “Skylight” - that imitates the changes of daylight in the sky - and a series of aluminium panels “Cloud Illusion”. In “Cloud Illusion”, an aluminium mirror surface of engravings and perforations unfold large clouds of ever-changing character. Its interaction with the ambient daylight is strong yet subtle with the soft reflections creating light and shadows onto the floor, spreading to the entire room. The soft quality of the thin mirror surface creates a slight vibratory motion, enhancing the feeling of life, inviting the mind to float like clouds in the sky. The fluidity of the materials, combined with the calligraphic traces and the vertical format, may equally recall the spirit of the Chinese wash drawings of the Sung Dynasty, in which the idea of capturing the breath of life and nature by the use of only one colour was essential.

Cloud Illusions/Basel

Cloud Illusions/Basel is a reflection and an illusion of the clouds in the sky. The clouds constantly form different shapes and images. The appearance of a cloud is ever changing; each time you look there is a new, varied, image.The thin mirror surface of the artwork forms a diffuse image of the sky. The reflections are affected by the light, shadows and the colours of the surroundings. These spread to the environment and creates a new, ever changing play of light and shadows. The matte areas of the artwork create expressions similar to how the thin air forms the image of a cloud. They interact with the mirror surfaces and creating the illusion of the changing clouds in the sky. Depending on the surroundings, the reflections of the artwork create a new experience every time you pass by.

Cloud Illusions

While working on Cloud Illusions Astrid Krogh was listening to the soulful piece of music Spiegel im Spiegel by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. Just as Spiegel im Spiegel this monumental triptych is poetically referring to the infinity of images produced by parallel mirrors: The tonic triads are endlessly repeated with small variations as if reflected back and forth. In Cloud Illusions Krogh has been working with impregnations and perforations in the surface of the mirror foil, thereby creating a landscape of ever changing character reminiscent to clouds in the sky. The interaction of the work with the surrounding light is both strong and subtle, and the reflections of the softly moving light shadows on the floor are constantly spreading towards the entire room. The soft quality of the thin mirror foil gives, unlike mirror or metal, the viewer a feeling of a drapery that slightly vibrates in the wind while passing by. The fluidity of the material, the calligraphic traces as well as the high format could equally recall the Chinese wash drawings from the 15th century Song Dynasty, in which the idea of capturing the breath of life and nature by means of only one color was essential. Only in Krogh’s work, color is no longer added, only reflected.

Meadow

Meadow is a fibre optic wall sculpture from 2013. The fibre optics are connected to light monitors infusing coloured light directly into the fibres by means of a little colour wheel designed by the artist. As the title indicates, the source of inspiration is a pastoral field of flowers and with the protruding fibres slightly vibrating and the ever changing flow of colors in a slow and meditative pace, there is indeed a natural and poetic feeling to this work. Meadow is a piece in a series of luminous sculptures questioning the impact of colored light on our perception. The soft and tactile quality that Krogh manages to give light by means of the fibre optics and the subtle colour transitions is offering the beholder a sensorial color experience unlike any other.

Mare Tranquillitatis & Sky

An optical fibre sculpture of cosmic dimensions.

Horizon

As the daylight disappears HORIZON imitates the place where the sky meets the earth. Surrounded by changing colours, small movements and variability, HORIZON offers the viewer an imaginary journey to the horizon, a place where movements of the light constantly create new horizons.

Mare Tranquillitatis

Mare Tranquillitatis – the title of this optical fibre sculpture of cosmic dimensions, refers to a lunar mare that is situated within the Tranquillitatis basin of the moon. Very slowly and barely perceptible, this piece takes on varying hues of yellow and white, creating the strange and poetic impression that the work is actually breathing, imitating the sensation that the moon is actually alive in the night sky.

Meadow

Meadow is a fibre optic wall sculpture from 2013. The fibre optics are connected to light monitors infusing coloured light directly into the fibres by means of a little colour wheel designed by the artist. As the title indicates, the source of inspiration is a pastoral field of flowers and with the protruding fibres slightly vibrating and the ever changing flow of colors in a slow and meditative pace, there is indeed a natural and poetic feeling to this work. Meadow is a piece in a series of luminous sculptures questioning the impact of colored light on our perception. The soft and tactile quality that Krogh manages to give light by means of the fibre optics and the subtle colour transitions is offering the beholder a sensorial color experience unlike any other.

Five-Fold Happiness

Five-Fold Happiness is inspired by the sky and Chinese ornaments. The neon sculpture represents a big floating cloud, and it is named after the Chinese ornament for good fortune and auspicious thought. The cloud represents the five layers of fortune and happiness that is a popular motif in Chinese architecture, textile designs and everyday objects. The tremendous neon cloud of an otherworldly whiteness is a double tribute to the force of magic patterns and to the idle contemplation of clouds.

Sky

The works SKY I + II + III are a series of 3 weavings in optical fibers and paper yarn with inspiration in heaven’s forever changing color spectrum. The weavings may appear as almost monochrome color flats but with gentle shift in color spectrum, and thus mimics the sky change throughout the day. They can be displayed when individually or as one large installation.

Ikat I

Ikat I is a light paper yarn tapestry created from optical fibres. The patterns have shaped in an organic, or random manner, determined by where the different colours of the weave have ended up during the weaving process. The tapestry alludes the Ikat weaving technique, which among other things is characterized by detailed colouring and immense precision, allowing smooth transitions between patterns. With Ikat I Astrid Krogh interprets the Ikat tradition by allowing light to create its own patterns and shapes through indefinable transitions. The light is used as an imaginary dye, which continuously flows back and forth creating an almost magical effect. Ikat I is the smallest weaving in the trilogy Ikat I, II and III. Each one of the three light tapestries can function individually, as separate pieces.

Ikat II

Ikat II is a light paper yarn tapestry with organic patterns created in optical fibres. The tapestry alludes the Ikat weaving technique, which among other things is characterized by detailed colouring and immense precision in weaving, making it possible to create smooth transitions between patterns. With Ikat II Astrid Krogh interprets the Ikat tradition by allowing light to create its own patterns and shapes in indefinable transitions. The light is used as a imaginary dye, which continuously flows back and forth and thus create an almost magical effect pattern. Ikat II is the middle section of the weaving trilogy Ikat I, II and III where each one of the three light tapestries can function individually, as separate pieces.

Ikat III

Ikat III is a light paper yarn tapestry with organic patterns created with optical fibres. The tapestry alludes the Ikat weaving technique, which among other things is characterized by detailed colouring and immense precision in weaving, making it possible to create smooth transitions between patterns. With Ikat III Astrid Krogh interprets the Ikat tradition by allowing light to create its own patterns and shapes in indefinable transitions. The light is used as a imaginary dye, which continuously flows back and forth and thus create an almost magical effect pattern. Ikat III is the biggest weaving of the trilogy, Ikat I, II and III. Each one of the three light tapestries can function individually, as separate pieces.

Morild

Morild is a delicate light tapestry made out of optical fibre and a perforated, wooden wall. It is named after one of nature’s most spectacular light phenomena, glowing algae, which can be seen in the water at sea. The light source in the tapestry can be programmed to switch colour and intensity in fast or slow intervals. Thus, it is slowly and constantly changing, capturing one of the endlessly changing patterns of nature, so chaotic and organized at the same time.

Twinkle

Twinkle is a clock that revolves around the movement and repetition of time in an endless circle from which the linear movements project into the room and disappears into endless space. Time is marked by neon tubes. The centre features a hand-painted circular decoration with a functional pattern that indicates the hours, minutes and seconds. The neon tubes are bent by hand and placed on a background of laser-cut aluminium; the centrally placed decoration is handpainted. In a comment on the piece, Astrid Krogh says, “It’s a comment on the green wave we are currently experiencing, where time is passing, but what are we doing in the meantime?”

Circle Light

Circle Light can best described as a mobile or a light ornament which spins around its own axis, slowly changing colour, as a meditative light ornament for the room. Made with LED lights mounted in laser-cut aluminium with glued-on acrylic fronts with the LED technology concealed inside of the form itself. The inspiration for Circle Light came from an ancient pattern called Flower of Life. The Flower of Life pattern consists of circle segments forming a flower believed to symbolize the so called sacred geometry. Thus, the light ornament represents perfect form, proportion and harmony ... nothing less. In Astrid’s own words; Circle Light is intended as a symbolic and visual expression of the way in which the circles of life move into each other.

Swirl

A lamp element, Swirl is capable of growing, and becoming a pattern, a plant or a rug on your wall. It is a decorative wall-mounted lamp with a touch of function which can consist of 1, 5, 13 or 300 elements, depending on preference.

Waltzing

The wall consists of 26 x 8 LED elements. Patterns and lights are constantly changing. Waltzing is an interactive modern light tapestry that combines old textile idioms with modern technology. Patterns and lights live in a changing organic surface that constantly dissolves and forms new patterns. Each pattern remains for four seconds then, over the next eight seconds, dissolves into the next pattern. Lights and patterns can also be influenced interactively from a mat on the floor. The surface of Waltzing consists of 26 x 8 squares backlit by light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The technology makes it possible on the one hand to interact with the pattern and on the other to create the experience of an inherently mobile pattern surface that constantly changes character. The patterns are new interpretations of traditional Ikat weaves. Traditionally, a tapestry has both functional and decorative qualities. Waltzing creates a dialogue with this tradition – in this case decoration is not monumental and static, but mobile and dynamic,in a dialogue with modern technology.

Ornament

The work Ornament, created for a major design exhibition at Paustian, Copenhagen, is the fulfilment of a dream of creating a kaleidoscope from textile techniques, and just as inevitably with materials that are far from traditional textiles. Ornament consists of a tissue of thousands of patterns created with neon tubes. When the tubes light up, goes off or change colour, they are combined into a kaleidoscope of radiant, everchanging patterns. 186 neon tubes distributed in ten pattern units that can be combined individually and generate approximately three million different patterns. The pattern changes every eight seconds. The close affinity of certain of the works with the anatomy and idiom of the kaleidoscope is emblematic of the work with patterns – not as fixed forms but as recognizable elements in constantly shifting formations of the patterns. ”Why did you create such an insanely expensive piece?” was the curator’s question to Astrid Krogh. ”Dreams can’t be measured in money,” was the text that accompanied the work in the exhibition. Ornaments was bought by the National Arts Foundation.

Blue

Light is conducted though optical fibres which have certain properties akin to those of traditional textile fibres, making it possible to work with the fibres on a loom. The weaving is constantly changing colour.

Holbein

Lightmail

The ends of the fibres are connected to monitors that radiate coloured light into each fibre. An incessant flow of colour is changing the structures of the fibres. To weave with the light itself opens up new possibilities for interior design such as modern tapestry and lightning.

My Golden Horizon

My Golden Horizon A brighter horizon dawns in Astrid Krogh’s spectacular new artwork, a dazzling display of light and reflection inspired by the power and transcendence of the sun. Humans have long held the belief that all life comes from the sun, gazing in awe as streaks of red, yellow and orange paint the sky when it rises and sets. These flashes of colour appear to be tinted with gold, separating the horizon from the earth by fiery bands of gleaming light. Reflected over water, the golden strata created by the setting sun are mirrored in layers of ephemeral colour that sparkle underneath the sky. Forces of nature have always been a source of inspiration for Krogh, who typically uses colour, reflection and material to recreate the light she observes in the world around her. Fascinated by the luminescence of gold and its enduring ability to represent light throughout history, Krogh noticed how the material emanates the colours of the sun itself. Inspired to capture a striking sunset she viewed at the water’s edge, Krogh transferred thin sheets of beaten gold onto paper, carefully forming pleats and folds that capture and reflect ambient light. The lustrous surface that resulted formed an expansive, lateral horizon that intensifies the bands of colour seen in the sky. Tiers of pleats were compressed to make the colours appear darker and more intense, while wider folds were opened to diffuse the light and reflect it away from the surface. Together, the nuances of colour they create form an ethereal composition, relying on shadow and light to determine the intensity of each tone. As we explore this illusory horizon with our imagination, Krogh invites us to remember the feelings and perceptions that surround the setting sun. Yet, Krogh, as her work reveals, is no illusionist. She wants viewers to understand the mechanics of her creation, to see the subtle layers, simple folds and the measured applications of gleaming gold. My Golden Horizon will inspire a new awareness of the colours in the sky, and enable us to see the sun with new eyes.

A Square of The Universe

The universe is flooded with patterns, from the smallest particles to interstellar structures. The patterns manifest themselves throughout, infinite in numbers and in constant change, chaotic and organized at one and the same time. ”A Square of the Universe” simulates a cube-shaped section of the universe. On its fixed structure of symmetrically stretched strings, the lamps shine in random, changing patterns. Between chaos and order, constantly changing - in the cube itself and with the movement when the viewer passes by.

Illimited

Seaweed of the Universe

After working for several years on cosmic themes, this summer, Danish artist Astrid Krogh had the idea of turning her eyes from the sky to the ground, looking down instead of up for answers. Every morning, when she went for a swim in the sea, she took her scuba-diving glasses to look at the world under the water and collected seaweed, which she dried when she got home. She had the idea of placing the seaweed in some kind of order to make a pattern, but during the making of these algae pictures, she realized this was not going to work...so she blended them instead into one big chaotic order...like the galaxies in the universe.

Seaweed & Square of the Universe / Matter at Hand

Hostler Burrows is pleased to present Matter at Hand, an exhibition of new work by ten contemporary Danish artists. Matter at Hand will be on view from October 28th – December 9th in the gallery’s New York location, with an opening reception on October 28th from 6 – 8 pm. The exhibition is realized with the support of the Danish Arts Foundation, and will include work by Stine Bidstrup, Anne Brandhøj, Yuki Ferdinansen, Bjørn Friborg, Hanne G, Jacob Jørgensen, Martin Bodilsen Kaldahl, Astrid Krogh, Pernille Pontoppidan and Maria Sparre-Petersen. The artists of Matter at Hand have centered investigation into material at the core of their process and share a humanistic approach that engenders an intensity for their craft against all odds. From Yuki Ferdinansen’s subtly textured metal vessels to Stine Bidstrup’s otherworldly glass forms, the featured works evoke and affirm the fundamental forces of nature. The exhibition is accompanied by a 140 page catalog which features studio and process photographs alongside biographies of the ten artists. In his essay for the catalog, “To Will One Thing”, Glenn Adamson writes, “Yet these objects do exemplify a philosophy: a way of being in the world. Whether clay or wood, metal, or glass, each represents the direct engagement between a living, thinking person and the obdurate, external, and uncaring domain of materiality. The very fact of the objects’ excellence attests to the absolute commitment that was brought to these encounters.”

Space Odyssey

“It is nothing but a breath, the void...” Rainer Maria Rilke As scientific exploration reaches the limits of the detectable and comprehensible, so it too relies on the creativity and imagination of scientists and artists to push boundaries and interpret the Universe. With these thoughts in mind, the Danish artist Astrid Krogh reached out to one of America’s pioneering astrophysicists, Dr. Margaret Geller from the Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with whom she initiated an ongoing correspondence on the patterns in the Universe. Opening fundamentally new perspectives, this encounter has given birth to a series of new works, which will be presented in the exhibition Astrid Krogh - Space Odyssey at Galerie Maria Wettergren in Paris, from 12 February through 16 April 2022. The Universe is flooded with patterns, from the smallest particles to intergalactic structures, infinite in numbers and in constant change, chaotic and organized at one and the same time. Krogh, who has always been fascinated by the force of patterns, approaches these empirically but tenderly, using light as her main source, both natural daylight and artificial light, which she organizes in different patterns, mixing random and order. By exploring a large specter of materials and techniques, including organic seaweed, gold leaf, fiber optics, mirror foil and photographic cyanotypes, Krogh thrives to reveal, in an almost alchemist way, the deep poetic feeling and grace of the Universe through the metamorphosis of these materials. This interdisciplinary approach is highly characteristic of Krogh’s vocabulary, who since the end of the 1990s, has continually combined different disciplines and materials in the fields of textile and light art. Concurrently, it echoes an ever-growing tendency among contemporary artists and designers today, opening up for new fields of interference between art and science.

ARABESQUE

Arabesque: stylized plant ornament, which is usually symmetrically structured, and which seems to be able to continue indefinitely. Flowers and plants offer a means to articulate, correspondences between microcosm and macrocosm, between the detail of nature and the laws of the universe. Growing up in rural Denmark, my early immersion in the language of plants vegetables fueled my understanding of a deeper pattern of possibilities beyond a materialistic worldview. I believe that there is a connection between all living things. Previously I have investigated the makeup of the universe and the tangled structure of the cosmic web. With this exhibition I trying to bridge the large and small structures of life, visualizing order and disorder in ornaments and arabesques as a kind of vegetal poetics.