CISTERNERNE

Deep below the green lawns of Søndermarken lies a secret, sprawling underground world. The darkness, coldness and dampness envelopes you as you venture into the huge 4,400 m² old water reservoir, reminiscent of long-forgotten cathedrals and gloomy catacombs. Cisternerne once contained the supply of drinking water for the Danish capital and could hold as much as 16 million liters of clean water. By 1933, the cisterns ceased their function as a reservoir for drinking water, and they were finally drained in 1981. Today, Cisternerne act as a spectacular setting for art exhibitions and events where the singularity of its architecture and atmosphere remains a core attraction.

In 2023, Cisternerne presents Weaving the light, an exhibition created by the South Korean artist, Kimsooja. The audience is invited into an ethereal space where light, projected into iridescent color spectra, transforms the former water reservoir into a sacred sea of light. The light radiates like brushstrokes on transparent canvases and breaks the darkness. The work is comprised of diffraction grating film that is mounted on transparent panels, which altogether let light pass through a microscopic surface of horizontal and vertical prisms. Rays of light split into vibrant colors that dynamically weave in and out of the subterranean colonnades.

Opening hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 11-18, Thursday 11-20, Friday-Sunday 11-18. Monday closed.

Admission: Adult DKK 115, Students DKK 90, Children under 18 free.

Museum Pass for the Frederiksberg Museums (Cisternerne, Bakkehuset, STORM and Møstings) DKK 175