Cool Globes Exhibition
[ November 13, 2009 to December 31, 2009. ] Twenty-eight two-metre-tall ‘earths’ appear at different metro stations around the city, each having been placed there as part of the Cool Globes Project. ‘Hot ideas for a cooler planet’ is the title, and in line with this, each artist has designed, sculpted and painted their globe to convey an idea about what ordinary citizens can do for the planet.
They may not be golden but their message is priceless
At Metro stations all over Cph; starts Sat, ends Dec 31; www.coolglobes.dk, www.m.dk/coolglobes
Starting this Friday, a trip on the metro could also be your ticket to seeing the latest art exhibition to hit the streets of Copenhagen – quite literally. Twenty-eight two-metre-tall ‘earths’ will be appearing at different metro stations around the city, each having been placed there as part of the Cool Globes Project
Like other urban art exhibitions such as CowParade and United Buddy Bears, Cool Globes involves inviting selected artists to add their touch to a sculpted form – in this case, an earth. Until the end of December the globes will be a part of Copenhagen’s cityscape, after which time all but five of the globes will be transported to Geneva. The five that remain will become permanent fixtures in the city.
Although Cool Globes may follow in the footsteps of similar events, the exhibition differs in that the globes are not merely intended to be fun things to look at. Instead, the participating artists have been instructed to work within a specified theme. ‘Hot ideas for a cooler planet’ is the title, and in line with this, each artist has designed, sculpted and painted their globe to convey an idea about what ordinary citizens can do for the planet.
A small plaque describing the artist’s message will be placed alongside each globe, giving viewers both an understanding of the art and the climate solution it expresses. In this manner, not only does the Cool Globes exhibition make an impact by providing financial support to environmental causes (Globes previously exhibited in other cities have been auctioned off), but also does so through spreading the message of sustainable living.
With the COP15 conference around the corner, and delegates from 178 nations soon to arrive in the Danish capital, the exhibition couldn’t have found a better host city. Likewise, the city couldn’t have chosen a better exhibition. While politicians attempt to agree upon what might just be the most important set of environmental protocols ever, the globes will shed light on what the average citizen can do to help alleviate the global climate problem.
Copenhagen’s Metro and the waste removal company, R98, are the two sponsors making the event possible. For the Metro, supporting the event seemed logical given the fact that the Metro itself plays a part in making sustainable living a reality.
‘The Metro is a part of the climate solution, and because of that, we found it natural to cooperate in a climate project that not only demonstrates the issues we are facing, but also the ways that we can involve ourselves in realising the solutions’ states Metro marketing manager, Mikkel Strøjer. ‘The exhibition is also intended to be a pat on the back to all our passengers for being a part of the solution. They will now have yet another reason to take the Metro around the city.’
Kongens Nytorv will be the location where you will be able to find the most globes – 14 in total. The rest will be dispersed around stations including those at the airport, DR Byen, Christianshavn and Nørreport. Both local and international artists will be participating in the event. Painter Jonas Pihl, who recently received a fantastic response to his first solo exhibition in New York, will be among the Danish artists involved. You can find brochures, which indicate where the various globes are situated and the artists who worked on them, in metro trains or online at Metro’s homepage.
Marie O’Connor
