We designed this sculpture exhibition at Frederiksborg Castle, North of Copenhagen. The show concerns the continued re-carving of a series of sculptures of Greek gods in sandstone, permanently located on the facade of the inner courtyard of the castle. The original series was created by the famed Dutch sculptor Hendrick de Keyser, personally commissioned by the Danish King Christian the 4th.

Due to the delicate nature of sandstone that erodes quickly in the Danish climate, the sculptures have been re-carved several times since their first creation in the 1600s. This currently ongoing re-sculpting and re-carving is the fourth iteration of the series.

The exhibition is on display throughout a number of the castle’s historic rooms, such as the former treasury and the king’s wine cellar.

One constraint was not using wood, cardboard or paper for the exhibition elements. Instead all podia, signage, illustrations etc. were made from terrazzo, aluminum and other inorganic materials.

The different colors of terrazzo indicate which generation the sculpture mounted on top is part of. Above are seen a reddish terrazzo with red brick chips to allude to the red brick flooring of the castle; the grey-ish terrazzo uses chips of sandstone as a nod to the sandstone used in the sculptures; and the white uses limestone to achieve a light color, matching the plaster cast on top of it.

The aluminum signage was designed in collaboration with Studio Atlant, who also did all the graphics.

The exhibition will be on view for the next several years, as more and more sculptures are finished being sculpted and carved. When they are all finished, they will be installed in their individual niches on the facade.

The exhibition was curated by art historian Lejla Mrgan of The National History Museum at Frederiksborg in close collaboration with The Agency for Culture and Palaces who own the castle as well as oversee the sculpting and carving of the new sculptures.

All photos by David Stjernholm.