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During the Odense Flower Festival, you can watch artist Amir Hussain create a magnificent work of art right in the middle of Eventyrhaven.
The grass will be transformed into a living work of art as chalk and spray paint bring H.C. Andersen’s iconic tale of The Ugly Duckling to life.
Amir Hussain is best known as the salt artist who creates portraits, logos, and living stories in sand and salt. He also works with larger-scale visual installations. Common to Amir’s art and his mission is the desire to create experiences that bring people together and tell stories in a unique way.
The Boundless Duckling draws inspiration from the story of The Ugly Duckling, but shifts the focus from the question of fitting in to the question of what happens when we dare to cross the boundaries we’ve created between people.
“For me, the work is about curiosity, encountering the unknown, and discovering that difference isn’t something to be overcome, but something that can enrich us. The title refers to physical, cultural, and mental boundaries—and to the possibility of seeing them as something that can be challenged,” says Amir Hussain.
The artwork will measure approximately 30 x 40 meters and will be created directly on the grass in Eventyrhaven. Due to the artwork’s size, the audience will need to climb 3–4 meters up onto a viewing platform to experience the motif in its entirety. Only there do the many thousands of lines and shapes come together to form a single narrative.
Amir is no stranger to the H.C. Andersen Festival. In previous years, he has held workshops on salt art and created salt art live. This also means that he has worked within H.C. Andersen’s universe before, and it is a truly unique space to explore. “It’s inspiring to work within that universe because it invites interpretation rather than repetition. The festival gives artists the opportunity to create new works that draw on H.C. Andersen’s ideas and stories but speak to the world we live in today,” says Hussain.
The Boundless Duckling will be created during the Odense Flower Festival on August 13, 14, 15, and 16. In the days that follow, you can experience the finished work in its entirety, as wind and weather slowly dissolve the image, reminding us of the transience of art—and the beauty of that which exists only for a moment.
