A new “road” through Aalborg Hospital City: Huge artwork unveiled

It is not an ordinary road that has wound its way through the landscape in front of Aalborg University Hospital.

Small stretches of road, miniature streetlights and rolling hills are all part of a large new artwork that has just been unveiled at the main entrance to the Hospital City.

Appropriately titled “The Road”, the artwork was created by internationally acclaimed Danish artist Nina Beier.

It has been under construction since early spring and stretches from the square by the main entrance into one of the hospital’s courtyards, according to a press release from the North Denmark Region.

A road in miniature

The inspiration comes from a place that most people would probably associate with something very different from a hospital.

A children’s traffic playground.

“A traffic playground is a scaled-down representation of reality. I borrowed small streetlights and fragments of a miniature road from there and placed them across hills made from stones, soil and plants,” explains Nina Beier.

But the experience does not end with the small roads.

When viewed from inside the building, the artwork comes together to form one coherent image. And at the exact point where the illusion falls into place, visitors can hear a piece of music composed by Mads Frøslev specifically for the sculpture.

When darkness falls, the stretches of road are also illuminated by the miniature streetlights.

Becoming greener over time

“The Road” was donated by the New Carlsberg Foundation and is part of an ambition to integrate art and culture into the Hospital City – particularly in areas used by patients, relatives and staff.

And although the artwork has now been officially unveiled, its appearance will continue to change.

The hills have been planted with creeping thyme and ferns, which will gradually spread and cover the landscape like a green carpet.

As a result, the colours will also change with the seasons.

Chairman of the Regional Council Mads Duedahl (V) is pleased with the new artwork at the hospital.

“We are very grateful for the donation from the New Carlsberg Foundation. Art plays an important role in the surroundings we provide for patients, relatives and staff, and this artwork will become a prominent part of the Hospital City,” he says.

A road with several meanings

For Mads Duedahl, the artwork also carries symbolism that is particularly fitting for a hospital.

“Everyone who comes to the hospital is on some kind of journey. For some, the road is short and straightforward, while for others it may be marked by uncertainty, hope or major changes,” he says, continuing:

“‘The Road’ is a work of art that appeals to the senses, but it also invites reflection. Perhaps it makes us think about the many roads we travel through life, the choices we make and the new perspectives that can emerge along the way.”

And it certainly seems that “The Road” will make people stop and take a second look.