words: Signe Sylvester, Curator for Artboost

Creating a Safe and Supportive Environment for Parents of Children at the Residential Institution Fenrishus

In 2020, the residential and respite care institution Fenrishus, in close collaboration with a steering group of parents and relatives, initiated a partnership with the art agency Artboost and curator Signe Sylvester.
The goal was to create a more inspiring and homely atmosphere by integrating new artworks and site-specific pieces into the institution’s spaces.

In this article, you can read more about the curator’s reflections on the project, the works that were specially developed for Fenrishus, and—most importantly—how the new visual surroundings have enhanced the well-being of staff, relatives, and residents alike.

We enjoy the beautiful art every day and can truly feel how it makes a difference for everyone who spends time at Fenrishus.”
– Ulla Monrad Nielsen, Head of Department at Fenrishus

A Focus on Parents and Siblings Creates a Sense of Security for Everyone

At the residential and respite care institution Fenrishus, children and young people with complex disabilities live and receive specialized support and care around the clock.

Ceiling hoists, measuring equipment, wheelchairs, ramps, waterbeds, and other assistive devices fill the living areas and hallways, all designed to make everyday life as smooth and manageable as possible.

Fenrishus exists for the children and young people — and its facilities are tailored to their needs — but they are not the only ones who spend time within its walls. Parents, siblings, and other relatives spend many hours at Fenrishus each week, and for them, the institution is not “just” a facility; it is a home for their children and siblings.

READ MORE HERE

The Moon’s Play with Sunlight

A glimpse of sunlight drifts lazily across the floor, up the wall, and over the ceiling, where Anne Nowak’s ceiling installation Mirage hangs. From the two skylights in one of the residential corridors, rosy moons hang suspended — slowly rotating, their mirrored surfaces reflecting the sun’s rays around the hallway during the day. At night, illuminated by the corridor’s artificial light, they appear as small glowing planets set against the dark night sky beyond the window.

At the opposite end of Fenrishus, in another corridor, three corresponding moons in deep blue and violet tones are installed. The moons are hung at varying heights so that children, siblings, and playful souls can catch their own reflections within them.

With her works Mirage and Mirage Mirrors, Nowak has engaged with Fenrishus as a place where life’s stark contrasts — between health and illness, life and death, inside and outside — are embraced within a calm, contemplative dimension. Yet the works, with their mirrored surfaces, also possess a playful side that has especially resonated with the siblings who visit Fenrishus.

“There are definitely some of the works that really speak to the siblings who visit Fenrishus. Anne Nowak’s Mirage Mirrors have fascinated Alberte’s brother immensely — not least because they’re hung at a height perfectly suited for him.”