4 QUESTIONS WITH PHILIP MESSMANN
1. What makes the Louisiana Museum such a special location in your mind?
Louisiana is very special. It's my favourite getaway from Copenhagen on a day off and I always dreamt of shooting there, with the modern architecture that blends into the landscape. I used to study architecture, so it felt very special to shoot in such an iconic building.
It was a great privilege. To me, it felt like the perfect mix to shoot the furniture in its spaces.
2. How did you find shooting there? Any surprises?
The light is quite amazing in almost every room, so it was a great experience. It's a pleasure just to see the light change throughout the day in all the rooms.
3. Do you have a favourite room?
That must be the Giacometti room.
Its huge, glass facade faces towards the lake and never fails to impress. Its changing views are amazing, every time of the year - way better than any movie, I guess. I always fantasize about what it would feel like waking up in a room like that. It has such a calming effect.
4. Do you have a favourite artist at the moment that you’re inspired by?
Wolfgang Tillmanns’ abstract works are amazing, and Louisiana has a great one in their collection.
Follow Philip Messmann on Instagram @philip_messmann
THE LOUISIANA MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is located north of Copenhagen, Denmark on a piece of land that includes sea views, quiet wooded paths, a sculpture garden and several large buildings. It is Denmark’s most visited museum and host many internationally renowned works.
Louisiana became known particularly for Knud W. Jensen’s so-called “sauna principle”. Jensen divided the exhibitions into hot and cold varieties: The hot consisted of artists that the guests already knew – the great modern classics – while the cold gave room for names the guests had never heard of – the less easily accessible, often contemporary artists.
The trick is to combine the two so that the popular exhibitions attract guests who on the same occasion also get to see something other than what they would have come for themselves. The sauna principle, in all its simplicity, is about meeting guests at eye level according to the view that, for an appeal to resonate, it must get hold of people where they already are.
Fritz Hansen and the museum are partners, which provided us the special opportunity to photograph our latest collection in its impressive rooms.
