SCULPTURES IN PALSGAARD CASTLE PARK

Artemis

Artist: Bjørn Nørgaard

In the middle of the romantic garden Humlegaarden in Palsgaard Castle Park stands the sculpture Artemis – a monumental bronze work of art created by visual artist Bjørn Nørgaard. The sculpture is the sixth in a series of seven works that together make up Humlegaarden as an integrated art and landscape experience.

Artemis is inspired by the Greek goddess of the same name and tells – seen from different angles – three mythological stories, including those of Adonis and Actae. The sculpture is deliberately created to be experienced in motion: When you walk around the work, new stories and details reveal themselves.

The work has been in the works for almost five years. In the early process, the sculpture was modelled in full-size clay in Bjørn Nørgaard's workshop on Møn – so large that the workshop had to be expanded to make room. Later, the sculpture was cast in Italy in more than two tons of bronze before it found its final location in Humlegaarden.

A special historical element is included in the work: For the work on the sculpture, an antler was borrowed from a deer that was shot at Palsgaard as far back as 1813 – a beautiful example of how the history of the place is literally woven into art.

Artemis is created in close interaction with the landscape around it. As with the other sculptures in Humlegaarden, both the work and the surroundings are conceived as two parallel narratives, which together create a holistic experience of art, nature and history.

Today, Humlegaarden attracts more than 40,000 visitors a year. The seventh and final sculpture, the Pavilion, is expected to be erected in 2027.

See more pictures in the gallery below.

About the artist

Bjørn Nørgaard is one of the most important Danish visual artists of the post-war period. He is known for his provocative and politically engaged works, ranging from sculptures and installations to happenings and performance art.

Nørgaard was born in Copenhagen in 1947. He has had a great influence on Danish and international art with his uncompromising search for new forms of expression and his ability to put current issues up for debate.

Some of his best-known works include The Horse Sacrifice, The Red Dogs, and the tapestries for Christiansborg Palace. He has received numerous prizes and honors, including the Eckersberg Medal and the Thorvaldsen Medal.

Nørgaard's art is characterized by:

• A strong political and social awareness
• A fascination with mythology and rituals
• An experimental approach to materials and techniques
• A Deep Interest in Human Nature

You can also see Bjørn Nørgaard's sculptures Stelen, Bænken, Broen, Fisken, Ruinen and Artemis in Palsgaard Castle Park. In addition, there will be en yderligere skulptur in 2027.