Skitser til reliefferne på Hjørring centralbibliotek 1930 - 1938

Editor: This drawing, "Skitser til reliefferne på Hjørring centralbibliotek," by Niels Larsen Stevns, made between 1930 and 1938, shows a series of figures in pencil. There’s a definite sense of labor and weariness in these quick sketches. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see figures caught in moments of bending and lifting, stances that echo the working classes during the interwar period. Stevns was sketching ideas for reliefs in a library, a space for knowledge and learning. What connection do you draw between the act of physical labour, depicted here in preparatory sketches, and a library as a space of intellect and civic participation? Editor: It’s interesting. The library is a place for everyone, regardless of social class. Maybe Stevns is honoring the labor that allows society to function, raising it to a place of prominence? Curator: Exactly. Consider the context: The rise of social democracy, worker’s rights movements and the push for accessible education for all. Stevns, by placing these figures on the library itself, integrates their narratives into the architectural fabric. Are these idealized representations, or are they showing something about the conditions of labour? Editor: They seem pretty honest in their poses. Nothing glamorous. Maybe he is commenting on the physical demands on the working class. Curator: Perhaps. He's capturing something fundamental about human existence. What would it mean to erase such depictions of physical labour from our public spaces? Editor: It would certainly change the way we perceive them, or rather, fail to perceive the lives that keep society running. Thanks. I’m seeing this in a whole new light. Curator: It’s a reminder of how deeply art is intertwined with the social and political landscape. Always ask: who is visible, and who is erased?