Nor­d­ic Nine Art­walk

Artist: Steffen Jørgensen, 1940-2015
Title: Desargues, 2002
Nordic Nine: #1

Steffen Jørgensen’s Desargues is a central work at CBS. Through its geometric lines and structures, the work visualises a system in which elements only make sense in relation to one another. The title refers to the French mathematician Gérard Desargues, who developed theories of geometry and perspective in the 17th century. Jørgensen, who trained as both an artist and a mathematician, works with what he calls "configurations" - visual explorations of mathematical systems. The work shows how knowledge develops through interaction between disciplines - and how new insights emerge when we view our fields in a broader context. Business knowledge only truly gains value when it is brought into play in relation to the surrounding world. Desargues forms the basis of CBS’ logo.

The work can be interpreted as a link to Nordic Nine #1: 
You have deep business knowledge placed in a broad context
 

Artist: Nina Sten-Knudsen, 1957
Title: Library
Nordic Nine: #2

In Nina Sten-Knudsen’s work Library, we encounter a motif that at first seems familiar: shelves filled with books - a place of knowledge, structure and immersion. But on closer look, the work also opens up something more ambiguous. The books represent not only answers, but also questions, interpretations and new ways of understanding the world. Library reflects the strength of being analytical in working with data and at the same time being curious about what is not clear-cut. Data can provide structure and insight, but reality is often more complex than numbers alone can show. Library reminds us that knowledge is both about analysing what we know - and about being open to what we do not yet fully understand. New perspectives emerge precisely in the tension between order and ambiguity.

The work can be interpreted as a link to Nordic Nine #2:
You are analytical with data and curious about ambiguity

Artist: Øivind Nygård, 1948-2010
Title: Fountain, 2001
Nordic Nine: #3

Øivind Nygård’s Fountain consists of organic forms that twist through space and create a sense of movement and connection. The sculpture points to connections between elements - and to the systems of which we, as a society, are part. Fountain suggests that solutions do not emerge in isolation. They are created when people turn their knowledge and ideas into concrete action and change. Climate, resources and social conditions require both insight and the willingness to act.

The work can be interpreted as a link to Nordic Nine #3:
You recognize humanity's challenges and have the entrepreneurial knowledge to help resolve them.

Artist: Fugleburet, 1977
Title: Unknown
Nordic Nine: #4

In Fugleburets, colourful figures, birds and animals with sharp teeth meet in an intense pictorial space. The motifs seem both playful and unsettling - like a world where instinct, competition and survival are at stake. The open beaks and sharp teeth point to strength, struggle and drive, but also to vulnerability and relationships. The work balances between the wild and the caring - between taking up space and making space for others. The Birdcage reminds us that strength is not only about winning - it is also about responsibility for those with whom we are connected.

The work can be interpreted as a link to Nordic Nine #4: 
You are competitive in business and compassionate in society

Artist: Michael Kvium, 1955
Title: Social Patterns, 2017
Nordic Nine: #5

Michael Kvium’s Social Patterns takes the form of intestines winding around the structure of the building. The form is both bodily and immediate - something we would normally associate with the inside of the body, but which is here drawn out into the public space. By bringing something internal and normally hidden into the light, the work points to the structures and processes that exist beneath the surface of our society. Many of the decisions made in organisations and companies are closely tied to complex - and sometimes ethical - questions. Social Patterns reminds us that what lies beneath the surface is also part of the whole.

The work can be interpreted as a link to Nordic Nine #5: 
You understand ethical dilemmas and have the leadership values to overcome them

Artist: Vibeke Tøjner, 1961
Title: Untitled, The Light in China 
Nordic Nine: #6

Vibeke Tøjner’s work The Light in China is based on a simple yet powerful motif: light. Light makes it possible to see more clearly, but it also creates shadows and new perspectives. In art, light is often used as an image of insight, understanding and new ways of making sense of the world. The Light in China can remind us that insight often emerges when multiple perspectives come together. When we examine an issue critically - while also working together constructively - new ideas and solutions can come to light.

The work can be interpreted as a link to Nordic Nine #6: 
You are critical when thinking and constructive when collaborating
 

Artist: Per Kirkeby, 1938-2018
Title: Unknown 
Nordic Nine: #7

Per Kirkeby’s works often draw on the forms and materials of nature, and he himself trained as a geologist. Per Kirkeby worked with layers, structures and organic movements that can evoke landscapes and nature’s slow processes. His art points to how the world around us is shaped over time - layer upon layer.

This attention to time and the structures of nature can be linked to Nordic Nine #7: You produce prosperity and protect the prosperity of next generations. Prosperity is not only about economic growth here and now. It is also about thinking long term and taking responsibility for the resources and systems on which future generations will depend. Per Kirkeby’s art reminds us that everything we build today becomes part of the layers on which the future rests. That is why development and responsibility must go hand in hand.

Artist group: Years
Title: Chain, 2020
Nordic Nine: #8

In Chain by the artist group Years, we encounter a form made up of links connected to one another. A chain is only strong because each link is joined to the next. At the same time, the chain can grow and change when new links are added. This idea can be seen as an image of learning. Knowledge does not develop in isolation, but through connections between people, experiences and ideas. When we learn something new, we build on what others have done before us - and our own knowledge can in turn become a link in someone else’s learning. Chain reminds us that learning is a shared process. The more we learn from one another - and pass that learning on - the stronger the whole becomes.

The work can be interpreted as a link to Nordic Nine #8: 
You grow by relearning and by teaching others to do the same

Artist: Frederik Næblerød
Title: Untitled, 2017
Nordic Nine: #9

This work was created for CBS at the students’ initiative, and it was made on the lawn in front of Nexus.

In Frederik Næblerød’s Untitled, we see a container ship painted in black and white on raw canvas. The motif is simple, yet also open to interpretation. The container ship is a clear symbol of global trade and transport - the networks that connect the world’s markets and societies. It prompts us to reflect on which goods, ideas and cultural expressions are moving around the world today. Globalisation is not only about products and economics, but also about values, images and narratives that cross borders. The question is how we, as students, researchers and companies, can use the world’s connections to create value where we are.

The work can be interpreted as a link to Nordic Nine #9: 
You create value from global connections for local communities