This publication was put together during a brief five-day residency (March 21–26, 2004) at communications bureau IB&CO, Ikast—a Danish town of 23,000 inhabitants. The project was part of the art biennial Socle du Monde, which fosters a tradition of artists collaborating with local industries (initiated by the shirt manufacturer Aage Damgaard, who invited Piero Manzoni to work there in the 1950s). The 2004 edition of this show was curated by Jacob Fabricius.

The photographs and stories in this publication were gathered through the local historical archives of Ikast, the press archives of the Ikast newspaper, the Herning Art Museum photo archive, the staff at IB&CO and by contributions from people whom answered my local ad, ‘Danes in the Sun’. The edition is of 30,000 to be distributed for FREE.

To obtain a FREE copy of the magazine:

IB&Co, Strøget 38, DK-7430 Ikast, Denmark. Tel.+45 97 25 26 27, e-mail: ibco@ibco.dk, www.ibco.dk. Or you can download a PDF verion HERE.

See installation shots from 'Socle du Monde Biennal', Herning, 2004.

THE TAXI STAND, BILLUND AIRPORT.

-Hotel Eyde in Herning Please.


-Are you visiting a clothing company, or what?

-No, not at all, why do you say that?


-There are plenty of clothing companies where you are going.

-Well, no, I am artist, I am visiting the museum.


-A painter, or what?

-No, publishing, I am making a magazine. Itıs still so cold out. Where is everybody?


-Inside their houses, or down South.

-Where does the South start?


-Below Germany, in my mind at least. I was a lorry driver for 20 years before driving this taxi.

-You got tired?


-Oh, it was just different in the old days. Less stress. You could stay away, take it slow on the route; see things. Not anymore.

-Did you explore Europe that way?


-Yep, I've pretty much been everywhere. But not America. As long as you have Bush over there I am not going.

-Bush is everywhere, you can't escape Bush.


-He is a danger to world peace in my opinion.

-Doesn't it look peaceful around here?


-It IS peaceful, not a soul, as you said.

-Yes, but maybe they are indoors, fighting.


-OK. Why did you choose to come to Herning?

-Herning Kunstmuseum chose me! I was invited. I don't know anything, or anyone.


-So what is your magazine about?

-Danes in the Sun, it is called. I am interested in people's relationship to weather. Isn't it boring to be a cab driver after 20 years on long routes?


-No not at all, sometimes it gets really fun to drive this cab.

-Like what?


-Once I picked up this Swedish millionaire, I ended up driving him 1400 kilometers. He told me his life story.

-?


-He was very depressed. Stone Rich. Drunk, and stoned. He had a beautiful wife, they had been on vacation with their child in Legoland but had a fight. She flew back home, he decided to take a cab. He said, "Call my wife from this cab and tell her what I am doing!". I called his wife, she wasn't even upset. He said she only loves him for the money. He owns three factories in Sweden. Very sad story. I dropped him off north of Stockholm. He offered me to stay overnight but I said I needed to get home to my own wife. I was home at 5pm the next day.

-Only a lorry driver could do that.


-Mm hmm.