HANS ERIK MADSEN
Born 1958, Odense, Denmark
Hans E. Madsen..
Image courtesy of Torben Eskerod.
Hans E. Madsen is a Danish light artist known for his pioneering use of light and space. Madsen’s practice engages deeply with materiality while challenging traditional artistic notions of aesthetic, intention, and expression. His approach is marked by a rejection of conventional beauty in favor of a minimalist, industrial language that finds new meaning in everyday materials, from fluorescent tubes to mason buckets.
The physical and spatial properties of his pieces often blur the line between tangible reality and illusion, confronting the viewer with an awareness of their own presence in relation to the space around them. In his major installations from the 1990s, inspired by minimalism, Madsen played with the tension between illusory and real spaces, creating works that feel at once simplified yet expansive.
His works in public spaces has become a hallmark of his career. Since the early 2000's, Madsen has worked intensively with large-scale public projects, including works for Copenhagen’s metro stations at Vibenshus Runddel, Gl. Strand, and Mozarts Plads. These installations demonstrate how Madsen’s practice remains rooted in a painterly sensibility, even as it moves beyond traditional forms. His sculptural light objects transform urban landscapes by capturing and refracting light, merging it with the environment in ways that challenge perception. Weather, time of day, and the natural surroundings all play a role in shaping the viewer's experience of these works, making them dynamic and ever-changing.
In his use of industrial, machine-made materials, Madsen aligns himself with traditions like 'arte povera' and 'American minimalism', where mundane objects are reimagined in new contexts. Fluorescent tubes, rubber hoses, and overhead projectors take on new lives in his hands, revealing possibilities beyond their functional origins. Like Dan Flavin, a key influence, Madsen emphasizes the material’s direct presence, rejecting symbolic or metaphorical interpretations. Yet, his works invite viewers to infuse their own meanings, encouraging a dialogue between the object, the space, and the observer.
Madsen’s light installations are particularly notable for their transformative nature. By day, his works may appear stark and industrial, with visible cables and mechanical components. But as night falls, they come alive, their raw materials transformed into glowing, kinetic experiences.
Notable installations include 'The Island' at University College Lillebælt and A Light Garden for the Copenhagen Light Festival, where everyday objects like the abovementioned mason buckets were transformed into ethereal, colour-changing lamps that interacted with the wind and weather. These works, often playful and immersive, turn overlooked or ordinary materials into public gathering points, engaging audiences in unexpected ways.
Madsen’s light art challenges the understanding of space, material, and perception. His works create aesthetic focal points that reframe the environments they inhabit, making the everyday extraordinary and inviting viewers to reconsider their relationship with the world around them.
Artist Statement
"Light is a living thing. Both the electric kind and the light that comes from the sun, far out there in space. There is a crucial difference compared to the dead materials in the artworks we often experience in public spaces. Light says, "look here" – and carries with it a culture originating from theater, parties, entertainment, film, rock music, and more. People are fascinated, attracted, and gather around light." Hans E. Madsen.
For more info, please visit Hans E. Madsen in cyberspace
artfacts.net/artist/hans-e-madsen
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