Education Profile of the Month

Education Profile of the Month, Denmark Tailor-made learning

In a beautiful green space, close to Taastrup and just 20 minutes away from Copenhagen, lies Grennessminde. Here, an educational programme is offered for those who don’t fit in with the general education system or labour market. Open to the public, the area also has a lot to offer for anyone into nature, plants and animals.

By Karen Gilmour Kristensen | Photos: Grennessminde i Taastrup

Grennessminde in Taastrup is a residential, work and education centre for vulnerable young people up to 30 years of age with developmental delay, learning disabilities or other mental illnesses. “We try to keep the young people occupied,” says spokesperson Andreas Hjorth Rasmussen. “This can prevent them from falling ill, which might happen if they just sit at home all day.”

The educational programme is called Særligt Tilrettelagt Ungdomsuddannelse (Specially Organised Upper-Secondary Education) and it’s implemented all over Denmark. Its focus is on adjusting the programme to the individual – not the other way around. STU at Grennessminde is very practical and hands-on. The young people can choose between gardening, working at the smithing workshop, tending to the animals, working in the bakery or kitchen, or selling coffee and cakes in the café.

“It’s important they make things that are truly useful for other people,” Rasmussen says. “And we believe that all of our young people are capable of contributing, even if they can only do shifts of a few hours.” Whenever a young person is sent to Grennessminde, their stay is primarily financed by the local council. While the stay is proposed by the council, the young person has the final say in whether they wish to go there or not.

Picking plants Grennessminde is open to the public and they welcome a lot of guests, especially at weekends. As a guest, you can walk around the area, visit one of Grennessminde’s greenhouses and purchase various plants, or buy bread from the skilful bakers in the bakery. The café, which also sells bread and pastries from the bakery, is open from Tuesday to Sunday, and during weekdays the young people take shifts there.

“We also have a field for picking your own fruit,” Rasmussen says. “In the field you can pick fruits and veggies such as squash, strawberries, garlic and even wildflowers. Similarly, you can pick to-

matoes and cucumbers in some of our greenhouses.”

There is also an Instagram-friendly dome which can be rented for meetings during weekdays and private parties at weekends. Behind the glass facade is a room with space for 35 sitting guests and the entire dome can house up to 149 people.

If you like animals, Grennessminde has even more attractions. Here, you’ll find donkeys, sheep, mini pigs, turtles, geckos, rabbits and fish. The newest addition are some Scottish Highland cattle and there are also horses, used for riding therapy with the young people. The area is open at all times for visitors to come and look at the animals.

What is normal? When working with vulnerable youth at Grennessminde, validation is key. “We try to validate the abilities of the young people and help them build their confidence,” Rasmussen explains. “Rather than focusing on the things they can’t do, we strive to figure out how to use their resources in a meaningful way. We want them to take pride in their accomplishments.”

Through charts and other forms of visual representation, all staff at Grennessminde attempt to find the things the young people are good at and allow them to do those things. The pedagogical approach is relatively simple and practical, since most of the staff are not educated in the field of pedagogy; instead, the young people are taught by carpenters, gardeners and chefs.

Why is this work so important? According to Rasmussen, there are two main reasons. The first is a personal one: “It’s very rewarding for the other employees and myself to work with this group,” he explains. “At Grennessminde, it’s easy to see how the job you do helps to make the world a better place. The young people are happy and for us, this makes our jobs meaningful.”

At the same time, there is also an economic aspect. The cost to the state of disability benefits and care homes is high. “But the alternative could be much more expensive; for example, if some of these people were to fall ill or end up on the street,” Rasmussen says.

He hopes Grennessminde can play a part in making society more inclusive. “Our society can be managed differently,” he says. “We don’t have to be normal. Is anyone even normal? We all have our idiosyncrasies. We must include these people in our society to make them less marginalised. If they’re around everyone else, being different will seem less problematic.”

www.gminde.dk Instagram: @grennessminde Facebook: Grennessminde

The Nordic region’s tallest skyscraper is taking shape

In the Lindholmen area of Hisingen in Gothenburg, the construction of Karlatornet is in full swing. The upcoming skyscraper will be a towering part of the new area Karlastaden and not least the whole of Gothenburg. When Karlatornet, which will have 73 floors, is completed in 2024, it will become the Nordic region’s tallest building, at 246 metres. However, prospective residents will be able to move in already at the end of 2023.

By Rune Nyland

Currently, Turning Torso (completed in 2005) in Västra Hamnen in Malmö is the tallest building in the Nordic countries, at 190.4 metres. Next September, Karlatornet is scheduled to surpass Malmö’s skyscraper. Already in May 2022, it became the tallest building in Gothenburg.

The founder behind the project, Ola Serneke from Serneke Invest, recently told the local newspaper Hela Hisingen: “I have worked with the project since 2004, and there have been an enormous number of issues that have been addressed during this time. I have lived with the project for almost 20 years, so for me it is a wonderful feeling to see the tower quickly rise towards the clouds – and reach its halfway point.”

In addition to the 611 apartments, Karlatornet will be connected to a Clarion Hotel with approximately 300 rooms and 8,000-square-metres for conference facilities and shops. There will also be a lookout point – a usual addition to buildings of this stature. Currently, the most expensive apartment for sale (six rooms on the 71st floor) costs just under 64 million SEK.

The motivation behind the project Johan Live, public relations manager at Serneke Group AB, explains the motivation and background for the project. “The main motive for the project is to create an entire district (Karlastaden) in an area that has previously been an industrial shipyard area, but which for a long time has been quite dilapidated and unused. Given the location, which is very central, it is an opportunity to add something new to the city: a unique 24/7 district, as well as 2,000 much-needed apartments.”

Lindholmen today is a living cluster for tech and vehicle development, as well as education. “When we now add housing

Karlatornet under construction - June 2022. Photo: Rune Nyland

The Gothenburg skyline is about to become even more dramatic. Photo: Per Pixel Petersson, imagebank.sweden.se

and a vibrant city life, this part of Gothenburg will become even more dynamic. To create a vibrant neighbourhood, it is necessary to have a foundation for shops, restaurants, cafes and services within the smallest possible area,” says Live. He believes that one way to ensure this is to build in height: “Therefore, Karlatornet and a number of other houses will be the tallest in the city.”

Prestige or practicality? Karlatornet will be the tallest skyscraper in the Nordic countries, but how high is it on a European scale? “There are about 25 buildings in Europe that are taller than Karlatornet’s 246 metres, including in Russia, Turkey and the United Kingdom. It may not reach the highest level in Europe, but it is definitely the highest in the Nordic countries,” says Live. “We believe that Karlatornet will mean a lot to Gothenburg. It will be a building that puts the city on the map even more, becomes a destination in the city and hopefully creates pride. There is no prestige in this. Sooner or later, someone constructs an even taller building somewhere. The height is optimised for economic, technical and architectural reasons.”

The project as an attraction Karlatornet is expected to be a vital city attraction and a foundation for business development. “We definitely believe that Karlastaden and Karlatornet create extra attractiveness for an already dynamic part of the city. Attractive homes in a vibrant district, which will be unique in Gothenburg, will certainly strengthen the conditions for attracting both people and investment,” continues Live.

Meanwhile, he is confident that the skyscraper will be able to facilitate largescale events like international conferences, in conjunction with its surrounding venues. “There is a hotel building adjacent to and partly in Karlatornet, where the opportunity for conferences will be found. This is in addition to other and

larger conference opportunities in wider parts of the city.”

Gothenburg’s role in Sweden and the Nordic countries The city is strategically located, with the largest port in the Nordic region. Karlatornet therefore has the potential make Gothenburg even more of an industrial, entrepreneurial and cultural hub. “Urban development, at all levels – both through housing and infrastructure – is a prerequisite for growth in the business community. During the entire planning of the district, we have had a strong collaboration with the city, and of course we see the Karlatornet’s role in a larger perspective as one that strengthens the city’s strategic opportunities in the Nordic region,” says Live.

“So far, people from many parts of the world have bought an apartment in Karlatornet,” he adds. It’s one of many exciting projects underway in Gothenburg, which is currently undergoing rapid renewal. It’s fair to say that anyone who has driven a car through the city in recent years will have noticed the extensive traffic diversions and road work. Gothenburg is a rising city. Watch this space.

Turning Torso is a main landmark in Malmo.

Tina Hee: The DNA of a Danish artist

The work of an artist is often born out of the struggles in their life – experiences that can bring a quality of authenticity to the creation of art. Certainly, this is the case for Tina Hee.

By Karin Blak | Photos: Suezanna Zenani

As a child, Tina wanted to be a nurse. She had a strict upbringing, however, and her father instead arranged for her to take an apprenticeship in marketing. Although this provided Tina with a successful career, she didn’t feel right in these roles.

The pivotal moment Inspired by her son’s teacher, she attended an art class and, with newly awakened energy, she enrolled in a fourmonth art course. This was the pivotal moment when she discovered the sense of belonging she had been missing.

“Challenges make me stronger,” she says, describing the hardship she went through during her early 40s. Therapy and painting were the tools she used to find peace inside.

An intuitive journey Tina describes her art as an intuitive journey. “I use symbols of life’s experiences: the crooked stairs reflect the hard times, the eye mirrors the soul, and the bird gives a panoramic view and a sense of freedom.”

Working like a CoBrA-artist, her art is often humorous. While very personal, the paintings have a special energy and happiness that lifts the viewer, is said to be typically ‘Hee-esque’, and is appreciated by both private and business clients.

Tina’s DNA Like a string of DNA, her need to help others runs through her life. When she encountered her first student with mental health issues, the feedback she received was that painting with Tina was medicine for the student’s buzzing brain. Tina now teaches groups at the mental health charity Sind, and says “there is no right or wrong in painting, there is just a safe space for creativity to happen.”

Tina’s travelling companion The creation of the bronze statue of a man with a top hat on a bike was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Travelling Companion. When she told the story to a man she met, he responded: “that sounds just like my grandad, his name was Johannes”. So, the statue was named Johannes. It became Tina’s logo and travelling companion, just as she is the travelling companion to those she helps.

Like the fairytales written by H.C. Andersen, a man she identifies with, Tina’s life has reached a happy destination and she hopes to help others achieve the same.

www.tinahee.com Instagram: @tinahee_art Facebook: ateliertinahee LinkedIn: tinahee

Visit Tina’s atelier Atelier Tina Hee Lyngby Hovedgade 1 2800 Lyngby - Danmark

Johannes thetravelling companion.

INTERACTIVE EXHIBITION GUIDED TOURS & ACTIVITIES ADVENTURE RIDE

Astronaut 1 drawing, felt pen and watercolour by Eskild Beck.

Prelude plaster sculpture by Saskia Sutherland.

Kent Lauritsen (left) and Conor Walton in Conor’s studio in Wicklow, Ireland.

Contemporary meets classic at Southern Jutland’s largest art gallery

As one of the largest art galleries in the Danish region of South Jutland, Galleri Nexus facilitates the intersection of hyper-local and international art, bridging classic, modern and contemporary expressions.

By Lena Hunter | Photos: Friedrich Hartung

When Galleri Nexus opened in 2007, it was about as off-piste as a Danish gallery could get. “Having a gallery on the outskirts is different to having a gallery on Bredgade in Copenhagen, or in the centre of Aarhus. A few years ago I was the only full-time professional gallery in the area and, even now, there aren’t many,” explains the gallery’s founder Kent Lauritsen.

An art dealer and auction-house consultant by trade, Lauritsen has amassed the world’s largest collection of Southern-Jutland art at Galleri Nexus. Today, the gallery is fully online, its portfolio representing a meeting point for the local and the global, blending Danish with international and contemporary with classic works.

“Nobody else specialises in the art of southern Jutland,” he says. “The collecus to the local public. We juxtapose the contemporary with the classic, so our collection is less speculative, closer to the audience.”

He points to works by Wicklow-based Irish artist Conor Walton, recent additions to Galleri Nexus. “Walton’s work is almost the opposite of Avant Garde. It’s reflective, intuitive and with integral technical quality,” he says. “The bottom line is that we seek to present quality.”

Other contemporary work on display includes that of Dan Thuesen – semi-abstract pastoral landscapes in misty pastel tones, and Danish-American artist Saskia Sutherland’s explorative sculpture works. Meanwhile, classic Danish works from the 19th and 20th century present rustic street scenes, still life and evocative land and seascapes.

“Good art should talk to you,” says Lauritsen. “And that’s what you’ll find at Galleri Nexus.”

tion at Galleri Nexus encompasses lesser-known local talents as well as big names like Franciska Clausen – one of Denmark’s leading Avant-Gardist painters from Aabenraa, ten kilometres from here.”

A meeting place for people and art In conversation with its collection of Danish art, Galleri Nexus exhibits an oeuvre of international artists from South Korea, Ireland, England, Germany and beyond. The name borrows from the Latin word ‘Nexus’, meaning ‘connection’ or ‘link’. “It refers not only to the gallery’s location near ancient crossroads, but to its ambition of being a place where people and quality art meet and connect,” explains Lauritsen.

“We could show only international Avant Garde but that wouldn’t have connected www.nexuswebshop.dk

September’s best new Scandi music

By Karl Batterbee

Röyksopp have reunited with Susanne Sundfør for a big highlight from their brand new album Profound Mysteries II. On Oh, Lover, we’re treated to a luxurious disco soundscape that’s been given an industrial-electro makeover by the Norwegian pioneers of synth. Susanne, meanwhile, delivers a wistful vocal about the should I/ shouldn’t I scenario of getting in touch with a former flame who, once upon a time, gave her all the feels. We’ve all been there.

For Tirsa are a brand-new band consisting of eight members (six Swedes and two Icelanders). All of the band are songwriters in their own right, having previously written for other artists in the Nordics and in Asia, and now they’ve come together to release their debut single – Open Your Eyes. It’s a rousing, uplifting bop that’s rooted in Nordic folk music, but with its head way up in the pop clouds we all love to frequent. They say they wanted to pair Swedish melody with Icelandic angst, and I would say they’ve done a mighty fine job. The song gets even more enjoyable with every listen, and I’m already looking forward to hearing more from this intriguing new collective.

Ahead of the release of their fifth album Palomino (out in November), Swedish duo First Aid Kit are out with a new single – Out Of My Head. They’ve ramped up the tempo considerably for this one. Their retro, blues-y charm remains intact, but this time it’s been paired with thundering pop drums that give the song a dramatic (camp, even!) sense of urgency.

Danish pop superstar MØ is back with a dazzling new tune – Spaceman. The song is an interpretation of the global smash hit single of the same name. The Babylon Zoo song from 1996, that is – not the UK Eurovision song from 2022. She’s taken the iconic chorus and done with it what the original version famously couldn’t – paired it with a verse that you would actively choose to listen to!

www.scandipop.co.uk

Monthly Illustration My secret weapon

My husband is my secret weapon when we travel. In me will always dwell a shy, foreign teenager: one that is desperate to fit in, and petrified of making a grammatical error that would make me stand out. Not so with my husband. “YAMMOS!” he’ll shout at Greek shop owners, followed by a stream of random words in any language – German, French, Spanish – whatever he has to hand.

Often, he’ll deliver his lines with such irresistible conviction that he makes people doubt their own language. On recent travels, we found ourselves in a restaurant filled, almost exclusively, with British tourists. The owner looked a bit sick of it, so I decided it would be nice to mix things up by not being one.

I talked at my husband in Swedish for the rest of the evening... And something nice happened. My husband, who is usually (and understandably) bored by my monologues (I mostly talk about dogs or show pictures of dogs), listened intently. He guessed at words –“you want me to pass the ladders?” – and made every effort to respond in Swedish –“yes, I like small bread.” It felt lovely to speak to him in my native tongue – to be myself in my own accent, not one that I’ve borrowed. Now, for the first time since we met, I’m desperate for my husband to learn Swedish. But in the meantime, I’m grateful for his shouting “BONNY-NOT!” at Portuguese hoteliers and looking after us both, while I remain bi-lingual and comfortably silent.

By Maria Smedstad

Maria Smedstad moved to the UK from Sweden in 1994. She received a degree in Illustration in 2001, before settling in the capital as a freelance cartoonist, creating the autobiographical cartoon Em. Maria writes a column on the trials and tribulations of life as a Swede in the UK.

SMK, the Danish National Gallery. Photo: SMK

Scandinavian Culture Calendar

–Where to go, what to see? It’s all happening here!

By Hanna Heiskanen

by:Larm (15-17 September) This Norwegian festival is for those who want to spot fresh talent on the verge of success. Acts range from ‘riot grrrl lo-fi-cute-punk’ to Australian doom metal, and from futuristic soul from the UK to Danish jazz. The 25th edition of by:Larm is bound to be a special one. Venues around Oslo www.bylarm.no

Stockholm’s Police Museum hosts engaging exhibitions. Photo: Kerstin Magnusson The Baltic Herring Market is a sure sign of autumn in Helsinki. Photo: Eetu Ahanen / Helsinki Partners

The Trigger: 150 years of police photography (until 31 December) Stockholm’s Police Museum is a fascinating place, with a number of regularly updated exhibitions. The Trigger showcases more than 600 police photos, from mugshots to crime scene snaps and tools of crime. The photos tell a story of over a century’s worth of criminal activity –but also challenge us to look into the eyes of the changing face of crime. Museivägen 7, Stockholm www.polismuseet.se

Matisse: The Red Studio (13 October 2022 - 26 February 2023) This might just be the region’s most exciting exhibition, this autumn! Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is landing in Copenhagen’s National Gallery (SMK) and promises to attract art fans from near and far. One of the highlights will be his work The Red Studio (1911), and, fascinatingly, three of the works depicted in it belong to SMK, and are thus reunited with the painting. The exhibition is a collaboration with New York’s MoMa. Solvgade 48-50, Copenhagen www.smk.dk

Ultima (15-24 September) Are you a contemporary music fan, or ready to try something new? Then head to Ultima, the Oslo-based festival offering over 60 events, ranging from talks to art and children’s culture. This year’s theme is freedom in all its forms. This year’s Nordheim Prize for composing will also be presented to winner Jan Martin Smørdal, during a concert on 16 September. Venues around Oslo www.ultima.no Helsinki Baltic Herring Market (2-8 October) The Helsinki Baltic Herring Market is one of Finland’s oldest events, dating back to 1743. Fishers from all along Finland’s coastline make their way to the capital in their boats to sell fish, traditional, dark archipelago bread, and sea buckthorn products – known to keep away colds during the long winter. There is also a competition for the best pickled fish. Market Square, Helsinki www.silakkamarkkinat.fi

Another Surrealism (until 22 October) Surrealism and Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art have a long-shared history: the world’s first exhibition of surrealist art with Dalí, Klee and others, took place here in 1935. Contemporary art, too, has elements of the surreal, which are explored in Den Frie’s new show, Another Surrealism, in which old and new works are exhibited side by side. This is a great opportunity to see lesser-known representatives of the movement. Oslo Plads 1, Copenhagen www.denfrie.dk

Henri Matisse: TheRedStudio(1911). Oil on canvas, 181 x 219.1 cm. Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Photo: Succession H. Matisse/VISDA 2022

Ultima in Oslo. Photo: Signe Fuglesteg Luksengard / Ultima

Scan Magazine Issue 146 September 2022

Published 09.2022 ISSN 1757-9589

Published by Scan Client Publishing

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Executive Editor Thomas Winther

Creative Director Mads E. Petersen

Editor Lena Hunter

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Cover Photo Bryndis Thorseinsdottir

Contributors Alejandra Cerda Ojensa Åsa Hedvig Aaberge Emma Rodin Ester Lihao Eva-Kristin Urestad Pedersen Hanna Heiskanen Hanna Margrethe Enger John Sempill Karen Kristensen Karin Blak Karl Batterbee Lotta Lassesson Malin Norman Mari Koskinen Maria Smedstad Marie Westerman Roberts Miriam Gradel Nina Bressler Rune Nyland Sara Hellgren Silvia Colombo Synne Johnsson Tina Nielsen

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