Installation for the Non-human

Refshaleøen

This story takes place in an old industrial site overtaken by nature. On Refshaleøen island, just opposite Copenhagen Contemporary.

Let’s call it a self-made park, where trees, plants, and flowers have slowly fought through the concrete to reclaim what was once theirs. It’s lovably chaotic and unkempt— growing wildly wherever it pleases, not where human gardeners would prefer.

Its authenticity is admirable. This self-made park gives hope that despite unfavourable conditions, nature reclaims her space. That no matter how much humans have damaged our beautiful planet, nature will find a way to reclaim the space post-human.

They built it together.

By day, Riina explored the space in her pink heart-shaped glasses, gathering what the land offered freely: twisted branches, dropped feathers, wind-fallen leaves, and fragrant plants. She brought back stones, empty snail shells, and wild herbs —her pockets brimming with organic whispers of the place — and arranged them intuitively into the installation.

By night, the environment joined in the collaboration. The wind tugged gently at the structure, reshaping it with intention. Rain softened the fibres, weaving them tighter. Dew kissed the surfaces into shimmer.

As days passed, a presence began to form.

A temporary, site-specific land art installation, crafted from locally sourced biodegradable materials and natural found objects. A quiet gesture toward multispecies coexistence.

Seaweed for ladybirds to hide between. A bug hotel embedded in a multi-layered brick, waiting to be populated. Wide branches for birds to perch on, and silken corners where spiders could spin their webs. An old, humid log where detritivores nestle beneath, and foxes nose through the undergrowth. Biocomposites made from locally sourced eggshells and coffee grounds, destined to nourish the soil when the work comes to its end.

And then, the spirit of the installation revealed itself. A creature, both familiar and otherworldly.

Part birch tree, with skin pale and peeling.

Part shaggy cat, or a rabbit, with ragged, seaweedy fur and pointy ears.

It welcomed all non-human beings, not just the cute ones humans prefer, but all of them. Rats, birds, moths, wind-breath spirits. Even the mythological ones.

Embracing an eco-centric worldview through care, circular design, and minimal impact.

And as we carry on, the installation keeps living. Ongoingly reshaped by weather, by the curious paws and claws of passing guests.

As time unfurls, it sheds softly bits of leaf, bark, and seaweed returning to the soil as a fertiliser. A gentle compost of itself, feeding the earth that first fed it.

Built only from nature-friendly materials, it knows how to disappear gracefully when its time comes. But for now, it stands — watchful, alive.

Part artwork, part offering to nature.

Wholly wild at heart.

Created during art residency at Metropolis, 2025

The artwork´s geographic coordinates are 55.694618, 12.612953

Special thanks to the local businesses:

Refshaleøens Snedkeri, Barlby Carlsson, Aamans restaurant, Øens Have