Yesterday we took off to a national park called Kullaberg, it’s some 60 km north of Lund and a peninsula at the west coast.
To get there, climb down the hillside, the last
50 meters in a “tunnel” that’s part of Nimis
We wanted to see the great art constructions Nimis and Arx, which has been raised out on the beach. Nimis is at its highest a 15 meters high … huh … yeah, what is it? It’s a number of towers built of driftwood and rests from the cutting areas. Some of the towers are interconnected by “tunnels”, above ground, that is. If you’re not afraid of heights and trusts the construction, you can climb up in all the different towers. Nimis has been there for more than 25 years now, maybe that speaks for itself.
Arx is made of stone and concrete, and interestingly, it is formally a 352 pages book. It has even an ISBN number. The 352 pages are numbered stones. Both of the art constructions were built without permission from the owner of the property, which I think would be Höganäs commune (commune it our variant on the county). Endless lawsuits has been processed since then, but Nimis and Arx still stands. I believe the commune has accepted it now, probably since some 30.000 people visits the place every year. Money talks, and a few krones probably spills over to businesses in Höganäs commune.
Kullaberg is one of the most beautiful places in my part of Sweden, a part which by the way most people believe is totally flat. Just view the hillsides, it’s everything but flat and quite an exercise to get down there. Not to mention you have to get up again…
Lars Vilks
I have visited this place a few times and this time I was pleased to meet the artist himself, Lars Vilks. He was doing maintenence on Nimis while I was on my way uphill again. I had a few words with him and asked him about media and what if he would have started this art project today. He told me an episode when Swedish national television were about to make an interview with him in the early eighties, and they had to climb down the steep hillside with all cameras and other equipment, which during these days were no digital handicams… Quite an amuzing sight. There were no answers, of course, but still an interesting chat. A really nice man with an interesting life path. Did I tell that he and a few other persons acclaimed this area from Sweden and made it into an independent republic monarchy something called Ladonia? Not for real, but anyway. The link gives more on this, in English. Interesting man, really, and talking with him there made this day perfect.
11 Comments
Absolutely amazing story, and I love images #1 and #4.
Just astonishing. What a great place for photos!
Thanks, Chris and Andreas. It’s a great place to visit, but hard to find since it’s not on regular maps or signs. Makes it even more interesting, I guess…
Photography-wise it’s difficult too if you’re there during the day. You have more or less the sun in front of you from all good views. Evenings are probably breath-taking, though… But then you have to get through the woods in the dark, when heading home again…
Excellent photos of amazing subjects. The story and background you presented gave the photographs an extra dimension. Was the artist as you expected him to be?
Thanks, Earl. And yes, he was pretty much as I expected him, not as artsy as younger artists can be.
What an interesting place. I don’t know if I’d trust the construction, but then again, you said that some 30,000 people/year visit, so it must be in pretty good condition.
The background story makes it even more interesting and what a nice boost to actually get to meet the artist!
Actually, most parents send up their kids to stress test the towers.
I have tried to climb up, but you need both to be small and limber. And not afraid of heights, which I am. You would probably get spectacular pictures from up there, but what the heck, you have to live with missing a few shots in life. 
Well, I’m not small at all, and probably not limber enough, but I’m not afraid of heights. I guess that I’d have to settle for the ground view. I know that my son wouldn’t go up, he doesn’t do heights!
My son and daughter climb both, the younger, the higher in our case.
A wonderful story and the photos are marvelous accompaniment. Those structures are fascinating. I’m afraid that I am one who would be planted firmly on the ground watching others climb. Well, the climbers need an audience to cheer them on, don’t they?
Exactly, Anita, and that’s what I did too! Thanks!