Glass under Grass
The Museum of Modern Glass Art opened in 2001, in Søndermarken across from the Copenhagen Zoo and several metres under the turf. The museum already has a collection of works made by famous Danish graphic artists through the last 30 years, and the most recent works of art are presented in special exhibitions. Two pyramid-shaped glass pavilions direct the visitor’s attention to the underground exhibition, which is located in two of the three rooms built for drinking water, covering a total of 2.800 square metres. Friends of the museum maintain that the Museum of Modern Glass Art is the only art museum in Europe, not reached by the rays of the sun. The glass here is thus bathed in artificial light.
A unique exhibition space
The rooms have been compared to cathedrals, aqueducts, and stalactite caves. They were established after the dreadful cholera epidemic in 1853 and built during the years 1856-59. A granite wall previously divided the rooms, so that the water could be divided and controlled for safety and sanitary purposes. The Frederiksberg Fire Brigade and the Reserve, trained for fires in the palace, emptied the three underground reservoirs in 1981.The museum is closed in December and January. In 2005 the exhibition in the artificial light is combined with glass paintings and sculptures made by the artists Niels Winkel and Egon Fischer. The exhibition runs from 2 February to 27 November, 2005.
The museum’s floor can be wet so practical shoes are recommended. There are no special facilities for walking-impaired visitors.
Read more about Cisternerne, here. |