MOTORISED TRACKS IN THE TREETOPS
Photo: Jan Søndergaard for Bloom, Hans Aa. Drawings: AVPD
Bloom is an annual festival celebrating nature and science. This year it was held in ‘Søndermarken’, Copenhagen. Beneath swaying treetops, some of the sharpest minds of our time—scientists, philosophers, artists, and thinkers—explored the interconnectedness of our world through the lens of nature’s processes and dimensions.
VORTEX
Over three days and across six stages, Bloom offered something for both mind and heart, hands and feet. The programme included talks, walks, debates, concerts, food, moments of reflection, art, and creative spaces. One highlight was the large art installation ‘Vortex’ by the artist duo AVPD, created in collaboration with our businesspartner Hans Aa, using specially crafted electrical curtain tracks from Stilling.
AP 1781379 Glydea/ White
Photo: Jan Søndergaard
Photo: Jan Søndergaard
ART AMONG THE TREETOPS
The installation ‘Vortex,’ created by the Danish artist duo AVPD (Aslak Vibæk and Peter Døssing), draws inspiration from ‘Lindehøj’, a central hill in Søndermarken surrounded by linden trees. Specially designed electrical Glydea curtain tracks are mounted between the trees, supporting three large textile pieces that move continuously.
At times, the textiles shift, leaving Lindehøj exposed and the artwork nearly invisible. At other moments, the textiles completely encase the center of the hill, creating a closed space. The installation is in constant flux, never the same, depending on the time of day and the viewer’s perspective. Inspired by the vortex, the artwork frames and challenges the festival space with synthetic colours and unpredictable movements.
Photo: Jan Søndergaard
Photo: Jan Søndergaard
Photo: Jan Søndergaard
21-METRE ELECTRIC CURTAIN TRACK
Both Hans Aa and the technical team at Stilling were enthusiastic about the project. The task involved curving a 21-metre long curtain track, which had to be assembled in three sections to form a spiral. The constantly changing radius made this a technically complex challenge.
Additionally, the tracks had to be mounted between the trees without causing any damage, and the curtains set to move in a predefined rythm. But the project was completed to the satisfaction of everyone involved.
Photo: Jan Søndergaard
THE BLOOM FESTIVAL
Since 2017, the Bloom festival has attracted a steadily growing audience, reaching 20,000 visitors in 2024. Next year’s festival will take place from 23rd to 25th May 2025.
Bloom doesn’t just flourish in May; it offers information throughout the year, helping us gain deeper insights into the world, the universe, and ourselves. The digital magazine Bloom Explore delves into science through videos, podcasts, essays, and art, blending perspectives from the realms of research and creativity.
Photo: Jan Søndergaard
Photo: Jan Søndergaard
THE ARTIST DUO AVPD
The award-winning duo, Aslak Vibæk and Peter Døssing, are both graduates of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Their works and installations draw on elements from art, architecture, and design; physical and concrete projects that often challenge our perception and experience of the phenomenological – our perceptual, optical, and psychological understanding of the world around us.
Photo: Jan Søndergaard
