Art experts puzzled as departing rector insists on outdoor bronze bust

The finishing touches are currently being done to a bust of the former rector, Henrik C. Wegener, by the renowned sculptor Hein Heinsen. This has been confirmed to the University Post by several independent sources.

When you step down as rector at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), you can have a portrait done by an artist of your own choosing. In 2017, Wegener’s predecessor Ralf Hemmingsen (rector 2005-2017) had a bronze bust sculpted by Karin Lorentzen, and it now stands on a wooden pedestal in the Museum Building off Nørregade street, home of the UCPH central reception. Next to the bust hangs a portrait of Linda Nielsen (rector 2002-2005), painted by portrait artist Thomas Kluge.

Most other rector portraits are paintings, displayed side by side in the same location. This will not be the case with Wegener however. According to University Post sources, the outgoing rector has instead chosen to have his bust placed in the Agricultural University Garden. Wegener holds both a master’s degree and PhD from the institution, which merged with the University of Copenhagen in 2007.

READ ALSO: Wegener steps down after eight years as rector with mixed emotions of melancholy and relief

A display of power for all eternity

Henrik Wegener’s choice comes as a surprise to Mathias Danbolt, a professor of art history at UCPH who has done research on the historical tradition of casting powerful men in bronze. He notes the connotations associated with the bust format:

»The bust tradition arrived in Denmark in the latter part of the 17th century as part of the propaganda machinery of absolute monarchy. Busts were a manifestation of power and have a tradition of idealising and glorifying those they depict.«

Busts are often made from materials with great longevity like marble, granite, or bronze, he says:

»So, the bust is a way to inscribe oneself into history for all eternity.«

Mathias Danbolt also points out that the placement of the new rector’s bust is significant.

»Most other rector portraits are displayed inside the rector’s own building. Choosing to place the bust outdoors aligns with an older tradition of making scientific authorities focal points that the university community is meant to look up to. So I am somewhat surprised by this choice.«

Amalie Skovmøller, Associate Professor of Art History at UCPH, shares that view.

»A bust intended for indoor display can be made from plaster. That is far less permanent and also less costly. It can also be more easily tucked away indoors. Ralf Hemmingsen’s bust is in a location that not many people frequent. So Wegener is clearly aiming for a different level of visibility than previous rectors have had with their portraits.«

Mikkel Bogh, Professor in Art History, and from the same department, sees it differently however. According to the outgoing rector, Bogh was involved in advising on the project’s early stages. He understands why Wegener did not want a painting in the Museum Building.

»If you know Henrik (Wegener, ed.), you know he is a fairly unpretentious person. So, the thought of hanging in a portrait gallery alongside a long row of distinguished gentlemen in suits didn’t really appeal to him.«

Some might argue that having a bust made is actually more ceremonious than a painting?

»That may be true, but it depends on the context. I believe the idea behind placing it in the garden was actually to tone it down, as the bust would blend in with its surroundings. It was meant to be out there where the wind is blowing and people bike past or walk their dogs. I don’t think he intended it as something monumental, but rather as something that interacts with life around it.«

Henrik Wegener agrees with this interpretation when University Post speaks with him. He describes himself as an »outdoor person« and explains that the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University is that part of UCPH to which he feels the greatest personal connection, having earned both his master’s degree and PhD there:

»That is where I come from. That is where my university roots are. So, I didn’t feel that a painting or a bust inside the Museum Building was the optimal choice.«

You will, however, gain a different level of visibility compared to being placed inside the Museum Building. Did that factor into your decision?

»No. It’s about my roots being at the old Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University. So, that’s where I wanted my portrait — whether it was a bust or a painting — to be.«

Did you consider having a painting made to be displayed indoors at the Agricultural University buildings?

»Yes, I did consider that, but there is no such tradition at the Agricultural University. So, I moved away from that idea.«

Do we need more white men in bronze?

The bust of the outgoing rector is expected to be installed and unveiled later in 2025.

That same year, UCPH will celebrate the 150th anniversary of women’s admission to the university. It is one year after the Danish Minister of Culture launched an initiative to address the gender imbalance among statues in public spaces, stating: »In Copenhagen, there are more statues of mythical creatures than of women. That’s completely absurd. Is that really the reflection of society that the next generation should grow up with?«

Only one in ten sculptures in Copenhagen depicts a woman, and the situation at UCPH is no better. Associate Professor of Art History Amalie Skovmøller takes note of the timing of the rector’s bust project:

»In recent years, we’ve had discussions at UCPH about how we, as an institution, portray and commemorate prominent academic figures — moving away from the classic image of the man in bronze. So, this choice is somewhat surprising,« she says, adding:

»There is a general lack of female representation in public spaces. It’s a significant issue, one that the Minister of Culture has actively sought to change. That’s why it seems a little strange to move in the opposite direction, as the rector is doing here.«

Professor of Art History Mathias Danbolt also finds it surprising that the debate on representation in public spaces appears to have gone unnoticed in the rector’s office.

»It sounds like a missed opportunity to critically reflect on how the university has used — and continues to use — art to shape and manage its own history and power,« he says, letting out a half-resigned laugh:

»It just doesn’t look good, does it? The university is marking the 150th anniversary of women’s inclusion this year, and we’re having serious discussions about who has been included and excluded in the institution’s historical narrative, as well as about male dominance in public spaces. This decision does not contribute to improving the situation that the Minister of Culture is trying to address.«

Mathias Danbolt stresses that he is speaking with the caveat that he has not yet seen the artwork. It could very well be, as he puts it, a »cool bust«:

»I’d like to give it the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps there’s a deliberate artistic approach in this bust that breaks with the historical tradition and challenges the format. At least, I hope so.«

»I don’t intend to break with that tradition«

According to Professor Mikkel Bogh, who advised the rector in the project’s early phase, people should not expect to see a radical deconstruction of the bust format. He notes, however, that the overrepresentation of men in public spaces was something that he and the 66-year-old Wegener did discuss.

»Of course, we talked about the fact that Henrik is a man and identifies as such. That, and his age, are factors that, in a certain sense, work against him — at least when we’re talking about a bust of someone who, no matter how you look at it, has held a great deal of power. And that has simply become much more problematic today.«

For this reason, they also discussed whether the sculpture should depict an object referencing Wegener’s research, similar to the abstract sculpture honouring seismologist Inge Lehmann from 2017 by Elisabeth Toubro on the central Frue Plads in front of the University of Copenhagen’s Ceremonial Hall. Or whether it should be designed in a way that made it clearly recognizable as Henrik C. Wegener.

»And he leaned towards the latter,« says Mikkel Bogh.

Wegener approached you for professional advice. Did you consider advising him against having a bust of himself placed on a pedestal?

»No. I approached it as an already-assigned task because the bust was his wish. I could have taken a step back and said, ‘Henrik, are you sure this is the right thing to do in a time when statues are being toppled and when we are discussing representation, gender, age, and power?’ But this was his clear stance — that he couldn’t escape this. He is a man of a certain age, and that is his history. So, I didn’t challenge him further on that.«

Do you regret that a bit now?

»No, you won’t get me to say that. We talked about how this kind of thing makes you vulnerable to criticism because permanence is more provocative in a different way today than it was in the past. I actually think I even used the phrase that he was ‘sticking his neck out’. But he wasn’t too concerned about it.«

READ ALSO: Sculpture of Inge Lehmann: The first lady

That Wegener is not scared of sticking his neck out is quickly evident when he speaks to the University Post. When asked whether he regrets contributing to the gender imbalance among Copenhagen’s statues, he replies:

»I can’t help the fact that I have the gender I have. I could, of course, undergo a gender transition, but it’s a bit late for that, isn’t it? That would be completely absurd even to consider. I have the gender I have, and I am perfectly fine with that. I also think I have done plenty to ensure reasonable gender balances across UCPH wherever possible.«

Of course, you don’t choose your gender. But you do choose to have a bust made of yourself?

»I think this criticism is completely off the mark. We have a long-standing tradition of rectors being portrayed in one way or another when they complete their tenure. I don’t intend to break with that tradition.«

But why not? Some might argue that the tradition is up for a change.

»Yes, but I don’t agree. The beauty of traditions is that they are carried forward. And of course you can always question them. That’s absolutely fine. But someone has to safeguard traditions, also in these times, when customs swing back and forth.«

Did you consider the fact that this is the 150th anniversary of women’s admission to the university when you decided to commission yet another bust of a man?

»No, I thought about the 150th anniversary when I planned the major celebration we are having for the occasion and the vision of redesigning the Ceremonial Hall — especially the tapestry hall — so that we achieve better representation. That is something I have invested considerable energy and effort in addressing.«

Wegener believes that the full impact should only be assessed after the anniversary celebrations, as more initiatives are planned that could help balance artistic gender representation, he says.

Are you aware of the Minister of Culture’s initiative to address the fact that there are currently ten times as many statues of men as of women in Copenhagen?

»No, but I have, of course, noticed the debate. And I think it’s absolutely brilliant that someone is making an effort in that regard.«

What has he done for the garden?

The Agricultural University Garden was established in 1858 as a study garden for students. The central part of the garden, with its weeping willow and small pond, has remained largely unchanged since its creation. In 1965, this area was placed under protection to prevent unwanted alterations to the site and to avoid »other disfiguring additions to the garden,« as stated in the preservation ruling.

However, the protection does not apply to UCPH itself, as Henrik C. Wegener explains:

»The garden belongs to us, and there is no heritage authority that has jurisdiction over it. So we can plant and arrange things there however we like,« he says.

In the part of the garden where the outgoing rector has requested his bust placed, there are currently only two other statues, both more than a hundred years old. One is a bust of botanist Emil Rostrup, who was a professor at the Agricultural University and the first director of the garden. The other is a sculpture of a dairymaid, symbolising Denmark’s agricultural heritage — a gift from brewer Carl Jacobsen, an alumnus of the university.

Kim Greiner was head gardener at the Agricultural University Garden for 23 years. He has written books about the garden and now makes a living giving guided tours of his old workplace. And he is not quite sure what to say about the new bust when he takes visitors around the garden this summer:

»He was once rector. And now he is here. Because he asked for it,« he laughs, before turning serious.

»In a way, I don’t think he fits into the garden. I believe you should have done something particular for the garden to earn the right to have a statue here,« says the long-time head gardener.

Henrik C. Wegener, what have you done for the garden?

»You should ask what I have done for the Agricultural University.«

Okay. What have you done for the Agricultural University?

»I have worked in a research field that is central to a large part of the Agricultural University’s research and development and has had a significant impact on some of the areas where the university’s graduates work. In that way, through my career, I have helped create visibility, recognition, and respect for the Agricultural University’s graduates when they go out into the world and make positive changes for the benefit of people, the environment, and animals.«

Professor of Art History Mikkel Bogh sees the logic in placing the bust in the Agricultural University’s garden, given Henrik Wegener’s research field:

»He is an expert in zoonoses [diseases that jump from non-humans to humans, ed.]. And although he has probably spent more time standing on rostrums than wandering through botanical gardens in recent years, his field of study extends beyond the human world. So it makes sense that the trace he leaves behind is also placed in nature.«

Zoonoses are also an element that Wegener himself highlights.

»My story is one of infectious diseases, which I have spent my life fighting. That is why it made sense to place the bust at the intersection of animals, the environment, and humans.«

The Museum Building, where most other rector portraits hang, is an old zoological museum. Wouldn’t that have suited your research on zoonoses just as well as a botanical garden, which primarily contains plants?

»But the Museum Building is not part of the Agricultural University,« Wegener replies.

»So, I think I’ve answered your question.«

Urine, paint, and a santa hat

Amalie Skovmøller, associate professor of art history at UCPH, hopes the artwork will extend beyond Wegener himself — and perhaps also honour the many other people at UCPH who support the rector in his duties, assist research, or maintain the Agricultural University Garden.

»No one achieves their results alone,« she says.

»So I would be delighted to see a sculpture that acknowledges the broader academic community. I have my fingers crossed that his bust will do just that.«

The outgoing rector does not rule out that she might get her wish. At the very least, he is »not alone« on the bust, he says mysteriously.

»But who it is that I am sharing it with, I will wait to reveal.«

It is also not unlikely that Wegener may one day find himself sharing his pedestal with things he did not choose himself.

At least in the opinion of Amalie Skovmøller, who points out that public artworks are always at risk of pranks and vandalism.

»The city council always struggles with the fact that, when they put up art in public spaces, people end up urinating on it,« she says.

»That could happen to the rector as well, or someone might put a santa hat on him, or heaven knows what. Anything could happen to that bust, and he won’t be able to control it.«

Wegener’s advisor, Professor of Art History Mikkel Bogh, agrees.

»It’s entirely possible that one day someone will decide to pour a bucket of paint over it, knock it down, or dump it in the harbour,« he says with a laugh.

»But I think Henrik would just say, ‘We’ll deal with that when it happens.’«

Wegener himself does not seem particularly concerned about it.

»Vandalizing art is terrible,« he says.

»But a santa hat — no harm done.«