Skyggebrud (Shadow Break) is a safety-enhancing, co-created light installation located in the social housing area Ved Ungdomsboligerne in Gentofte Municipality. The work was created in collaboration with local residents as part of my artist residency under the Danish Arts Foundation in Gentofte Municipality during 2024–2025. The project focused on developing safety-enhancing and citizen-involving light installations, with residents—primarily Ukrainian refugees—participating throughout the entire creative process: from selecting the location and developing design concepts and sketches to decisions regarding form, color, and the title of the work.

Shadow Break consists of 65 energy-efficient LED lamps fitted with custom-made color filters. The installation aims to increase both safety and general lighting in the area surrounding the residents’ shared spaces, including the common area, basketball court, and language and dining café. The work primarily employs indirect lighting, with the LED tubes’ filaments directed inward to avoid glare and create a calm, welcoming, and inviting atmosphere.

The installation is composed of two interconnected elements: a decorative component mounted on the fence surrounding the basketball court, illuminating the gable and the shared outdoor area, and a functional lighting component that provides adequate illumination of the basketball court itself. Both elements are realized within a shared color palette and pattern, developed in collaboration with the residents.

The project was realized in collaboration with the Danish Arts Foundation and Gentofte Municipality, including the social housing initiative, the Children & Youth department, and the Culture & Leisure department. In addition, the crime prevention unit as well as the Parks and Roads department contributed to the project’s realization.

Thanks to:

Sophie Fuglesang, Renata Marie Antoinette Hannah, and Elmedin Aksalic from Gentofte Municipality. Thanks also to Jacob Mads Nygaard from Technical & Environmental Services. Further thanks go to Christian Bache Randing (freespace_cph), Helene Kejser Pedersen, Martin Justesen, the Danish Road Directorate, DRIPS CPH, Andel Lumen, KAB-Ejendomme—and not least Gentofte Municipality.

Photos by:
Kim Høltermand (https://www.instagram.com/holtermand/)

Links:
https://www.kunst.dk
https://gentofte.dk/boern-og-unge/
https://www.kab-bolig.dk
https://www.vejdirektoratet.dk
https://dripscph.com/