7/8/17
So as my last full day in Copenhagen I decided to just go out with no real goal in mind and take some more photos. I knew of 3 large parks in the city center so I headed there, to begin with. Ended up running into the free portion of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival right as they were setting up and doing the sound check, decided I had plenty of time to walk and take photos before it started, I did. The above photos are from just one of the three parks and are just a selection of the ones I took, and have plenty more to edit. After grabbing some lunch at a bakery nearby I headed back and joined the festival (which had beer so I obviously got one). The first group played for nearly 45 minutes or more and were fantastic, clearly a local group close to my age, they killed it. After finishing my beer, I was itching to get back to the hostel, shower, and get some real food in me.
After dinner, I bought a 6 pack of beer and joined the group hanging out in the front of the hostel (also drinking and eating). Met some really cool people from across the US and Sweeden. A few beers and a round of Fiske shots later we headed out to the town.
7/7/17
Decided to go to the Copenhagen Design Museum (free 26 and under!) and found some absolutely beautiful things to shoot in a garden/park on my way. This was only a few minute walk from my hostel and I ended up relaxing here on my way back from the museum as well. The museum was super interesting, to say the least. Learning the history of Danish design influence on all types of products, but mostly furniture, was really cool. I had no idea they were so influential in the early 1900’s and even the 1800’s on a global scale. By far my two favorite sections were the environmentally conscious section which consisted of art pieces making a statement rather than actually produced furniture, but some of the items there were and still are to this day produced and are making a difference. My second favorite section was the chair exhibit (one of the photos above). Looking at history through the perspective of chairs is actually something I never thought of. Everyone sits, and what they sit on says a lot about where and when they are from, how much money they have, among other things. So to have a timeline of history that coincides with a common piece of furniture you can see what types of ideas and concepts were focused on during that time (very regal and flashy? minimalistic and just functional? lots of cushion for relaxing? etc.) Also, the exhibit itself was very artistically designed and beautiful to look at. Three cells high and dozens long on each side of the room, slightly angled so that the top ones were overhanging your head, and then each cell had motion sensor lights that went off after a few second so you could have the whole room dark, then walk past and the section you were at and only that section would light up. It made for some cool pictures and an interesting way to interact with the exhibit.
Did I mention this was free? Not just the regular museum exhibits, but this special chair one as well. So much in Copenhagen was either free to the public or quite inexpensive compared to other European or American cities. I feel that having these different museums free or cost-reduced can really help to inspire people to become interested in topics they never found interesting before. This is similar to the internet, where information about anything is just a click away, but museums organize closely related info and make it pleasing to look at, and interactive. There is just something about seeing something new, and learning about it in a 3-dimensional space that uses all of your senses. I even have a new appreciation for the high fashion industry because of an exhibit there. Seeing the dresses and clothing that probably were valued at millions of dollars in person, and in videos of it being worn down the catwalk, with descriptions as well just gave me a full picture of the situation. The designer, the era it was worn, who wore it and in what situation(s), and the effects it had on common fashion. I still don’t fully understand the functionality outside of a single event, but I have a greater appreciation for the events themselves.
During my relaxing walk back through the park, I decided to do a quick sketch in my notebook for the first time in quite a long time. Inspired by a friend of mine, Thom Miller who does a sketch on a napkin every night on the boat, I did a quick sketch of where I was sitting jut in one type of pen. It is very rough, but it resembles the environment well enough in my mind.
Tonight I went to Restaurant No2 and had another amazing meal. 6 courses (2 snacks, 4 dishes) with wine pairing. Ended up meeting a gay couple who I had some great conversations with and who took me out for a post-dinner cocktail at a great cocktail bar.
All in all, a really great, and somewhat interesting day.
A Modern Polymath 
Nice to see some pictures.
LikeLike