Light, soundscape, design and henna-tattoos

Experience the David Collection through the eyes of fashion and textile students from the Royal Academy’s Master’s program.

In the spring, students from the Fashion, Clothing, and Textile master’s program sought inspiration from the David Collection to design with diversity in mind. Starting with an exploration of the balance between cultural appropriation vs. cultural appreciation, the students have drawn inspiration from the David Collection. This has resulted in creations that are adventurous, thought-provoking, and imaginative.

Fashion and textiles are about developing a deep understanding of inclusivity in style, gender, aging, and ethnicity. Throughout the course, the students have reflected on how a designer can respectfully and thoughtfully draw inspiration from other cultures.

The creations are integrated into the collection's exhibitions, creating new contexts and perspectives on the collection. The students have incorporated their own stories, geographical references, and historical angles, merging them with the narratives from the works in the museum.

In the museum's courtyard, you can experience the work "Nothing moves in stagnant water" – a sound and light installation by artist Alia Nura, created in collaboration with curator Sara Dogan Bjerre. Alia Nura is a practicing visual artist and student at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. In her practice, she explores Middle Eastern craftsmanship and symbolism in contrast to contemporary political themes arising at the intersection of the Middle East and the West.

In "Nothing moves in stagnant water," the artist explores the dualities between water as a source of life and the colonial gaze that reduces cultures to objects of desire.

By fragmenting and warping objects that carry water through a moving light projection, the narrative of how we perceive inanimate objects is reclaimed, evoking feelings of loss, displacement, and resilience. The sound work consists of recordings of Arabic and Turkish folk songs, recorded in a hammam in southeastern Turkey. The static objects are transformed into living beings, gaining movement and new meaning through the flowing water. By reclaiming the stories and origins of these objects, the work critiques how we view museum artifacts, thus restoring their essence and autonomy.

The work is centered around the courtyard fountain, one of the few objects in the museum that still has a physical function. The fountain is believed to be from the Ottoman Empire, dated between the 16th and 18th centuries.

Sara Dogan Bjerre is a curator dedicated to positioning art, culture and music as platforms for fostering conversation and open dialogue. With a particular focus on the Middle East, as well as broader themes of conflict, displacement and cultural heritage, her work is rooted in integrity and purpose, creating spaces that challenge conventional perspectives and encourage meaningful engagement with pressing global issues through art.

Throughout the evening, it is possible to get your own beautiful henna decoration. The henna salon on the museum’s second floor is created by designer Nicole Ovando Kruckenberg.

Nicole is an event and ceramic designer and works as a cultural communicator in her daily life. Skilled henna artists will create traditional yet contemporary henna tattoos on guests' hands, under Nicole's expert guidance.

Full-coverage tattoos are not available. All materials used are natural, and coffee and lavender oil are mixed into the henna color. Guests are responsible for any potential allergens.

The henna salon is open from 6 PM to 11 PM, and there may be a queue.

 Access is for all with a Culture Pass, available for purchase via https://www.kulturnatten.dk/da/Kulturnatten/Information/kob-kulturpas/.