ARKEN

The Arken Museum of Modern Art sits adjacent to a man-made beach just south of Copenhagen. Designed by Søren Robert Lund, the industrial structure is designed to echo its surroundings by looking like a giant beached ship.  The doors opened to visitors in 1996 with the vision that "a visit at Arken should add a new perspective to the visitor's life, making the individual wiser about himself and therefore life."  With permanent installations devoted to Damien Hirst, Anselm Reyle and Ai Weiwei, the Arken strives to explore themes surrounding our place in the modern world as well as the very definition of art. 

The most fun and interactive exhibition of the Arken was The Model by Palle Nielsen.  First mounted in 1968 at the Moderna Museum in Stolkholm, Nielsen created an environment for children to both play in and develop through painting and building.  Considered well ahead of its time, The Model allowed children to interact on their own terms in the hallowed museum halls.  Suitable for children 3-12, the child I had in tow was perhaps a bit young for the experience, but still looked charming in the foam pool.