Malene Bach works contextually at several levels. Her in situ work at Skodsborg Spa & Fitness not only relates subtly to the specific architectural setting of Henning Larsen’s new pool building, her art also relates to the place itself and to the historic culture of bath houses around the world. Furthermore the art of Malene Bach enters into a dialogue with tendencies in 20th century modern art and architecture and the central notion of the Gesamtkunstwerk. Starting out as a painter, Malene Bach has become an artist who very much incorporates space, place and architecture into her work. Yet her project does not subscribe to the great utopian visions of modernism, relating instead to more local and specific issues. The concept of beauty - traditionally somewhat maligned in 20th century art - is reinstated in Malene Bach’s carefully balanced and understated ornamentation.
By Peter Thule Kristensen, Associate Professor, PhD, Architect MAA
Photography Jens Lindhe
