HAN, in English: He
On the 2nd of June 2012, the polished steel sculpture of a young man sitting in the mermaid pose - with clear references to The Little Mermaid - was unveiled in front of Kulturværftet, sitting at the edge of the pier.
Location
Helsingør, Denmark
Artists
Elmgreen & Dragset
Year
2012
The sculpture, known as HAN, sits on a rock and gazes out over the ocean, reflecting both the sea, sky, and the viewer's surroundings. It was created by the Danish-Norwegian artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset and is considered the "kid brother of The Little Mermaid."
While HAN has a human-like lower body instead of a fishtail, it sits in the siren pose on a rock like the original water nymph statue. Elmgreen & Dragset aimed to challenge the traditional depiction of masculinity in their work, creating a fragile and boyish figure without a heroic aura.
The sculpture doesn't have its own color but is instead colored by the surroundings, varying with the time, weather, and angle of view. An electronic device makes the sculpture blink at irregular intervals, rewarding patient viewers with a rare wink of the eye.
In 2014, I went on a study visit to Denmark with the aim of familiarizing Polish local government officials with public participation practices used in Copenhagen neighborhoods. Along with my friend Kasia Zerkowski, we were both group supervisors, we stayed at the charming Marysol hotel located in Helsingør, Denmark.
During our free time, we explored the Helsingør area together. One afternoon, we came across a polished steel sculpture of a young man sitting in the mermaid pose.
We both immediately fell in love with its shape and amazing, almost fluid form. It was a wonderful time for both of us, which we still fondly remember to this day. Inspired by this sculpture and my memories of admiring it, I created a series of posters using personally taken photos from that walk.
HAN - He concept project / Credits & special thanks goes to:
Title, Subtitles Typeface: HK Grotesk font designed by Hanken Design Co.; Second Typeface: Helveticish font designed by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann; Framed Typeface: Anonymous Pro font designed by Susan Lesch and David Lamkins; Translation Typeface: Montserrat Classic font designed by Julieta Ulanovsky; www address Typeface: Poppins font designed by Jonny Pinhorn, Ninad Kale.
Photos, Art Direction & Final Design: Rubovka
Deepest thanks to the Danish-Norwegian artist-duo Elmgreen & Dragset, based in Berlin, for sharing their awesome work, and for inspiring me to create a posters that pays homage to their sublime talent.
Visit Elmgreen & Dragset website: http://elmgreen-dragset.com/
Learn more about HAN here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/han-he