Bjørn Nørgaard, Spørger Jørgen stadig? / Is Jørgen Still Asking? , 2013, installed as part of CHART in Tivoli 2025
Courtesy of the artist, Galleri Susanne Ottesen and CHART in Tivoli
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About The Work
Spørger Jørgen stadig? / Is Jørgen Still Asking? (2013)
Bjørn Nørgaard brings an iconic Danish children's character to life in Tivoli's magical universe. Spørger Jørgen Stadig? (Does John still ask questions?) is a two-and-a-half-metre-high sculpture in glazed stoneware, based on Kamma Laurents' iconic children's book Spørge Jørgen (1944) and Kai Rosenberg's popular song version from 1951.
The original story follows the relentlessly curious boy Jørgen, who asks questions from morning to night, only to be sent to bed with a spanking and without any answers. Nørgaard reanimates the narrative by embracing the young protagonist's eager quest for understanding. Emblazoned over the sculpture in gilded capitals is a long list of questions inspired by the story: “Why can't you touch the stars?", Nørgaard asks. "Why can a bird whistle? Why was the world created? Why, why yes and why no?”.
Spørger Jørgen Stadig? celebrates curiosity as the driving force behind life, art, science, and society. It stands as a reminder that knowledge begins by recognising what we don't yet understand. “I must ask about everything I do not know”, we read across its surface. Perhaps not all questions require answers, but all answers begin with a question.
The sculpture was exhibited at Den Frie Exhibition in 2013 and now occupies Tivoli, where Jørgen's childlike wonder fits perfectly into the amusement park's world of play and imagination
Bjørn Nørgaard, Spørger Jørgen stadig? / Is Jørgen Still Asking? , 2013, installed as part of CHART in Tivoli 2025
Courtesy of the artist, Galleri Susanne Ottesen and CHART in Tivoli 2025
Bjørn Nørgaard, Spørger Jørgen stadig? / Is Jørgen Still Asking? , 2013, installed as part of CHART in Tivoli 2025
Courtesy of the artist, Galleri Susanne Ottesen and CHART in Tivoli 2025
Why is it impossible to touch the stars?
Why can a bird sing?
Why was the world created?
Why, why yes and why no
Why is it impossible to walk on water?
Why do monkeys always scratch themselves under the arms?
Why does everyone have a different god?
Why, why laughter and why tears
Why is it not the children who decide?
Why can only some people give birth?
Why is money so important?
Why, why life and why death
Why do things have different colours?
Why are some words nice and some words ugly and some words naughty?
Why do we have families?
Why, why smart and why dumb
Why doesn’t everyone wear a cap?
Why do I have a mother?
Why do we have cars?
Why, why white and why black
Why do I have friends?
Why is there something called time?
Why do I have to sleep?
Why, why sun and why rain
Why does a house in Rome have a hole in the roof?
Why do I have to do this?
Why do we have to go to school at 8 o'clock?
Why, why beautiful and why ugly
Why don’t adults go to school?
Why are there animals that can kill you?
Why is the light yellow?
Why, why big and why small
Why is water blue?
Why does everyone have to have a name?
Why is the earth not triangular?
Why, why happy and why angry
Why are there so many different countries?
Why is there gravity?
Why do we have bad dreams?
Why, why dry and why wet
Why must there be a difference between girls and boys?
Why do we need to know something?
Why did someone invent money?
Why, why rich and why poor
Why does everyone have to pee and poop?
Why do all people not have the same skin color?
Why do humans exist?
Why, why long and why short
Why do goats have beards?
Why are animals kicked?
Why do some have big teeth and others have small teeth?
Why, why here and why ther
Why are rats pests?
Why do people fart?
Why do cod have scales?
Why, why me and why you
Why do the leaves fall from the trees in autumn?
Why do men grow beards when women do not grow beards?
Why do all countries not speak the same language?
Why, why cold and why warm
Why are all the countries in the world not connected?
Why do we get bored?
Why does the wind blow?
Why, why out and why in
Why is peace better than war?
Why is God an old man?
Why are there poor people?
Why, why up and why down
I have to ask about everything I do not know.
Hvorfor kan man ikke røre ved stjernerne?
Hvorfor kan en fugl fløjte?
Hvorfor blev verden skabt?
Hvorfor hvorfor ja og hvorfor nej
Hvorfor kan man ikke gå på vandet?
Hvorfor klør aber sig altid under armen?
Hvorfor har alle en forskellig gud?
Hvorfor hvorfor grin og hvorfor gråd
Hvorfor er det ikke børnene der bestemmer?
Hvorfor er det kun damer der kan føde børn?
Hvorfor er penge så vigtige?
Hvorfor hvorfor liv og hvorfor død
Hvorfor har ting forskellige farver?
Hvorfor er nogle ord pæne og nogle ord grimme og nogle ord frække?
Hvorfor har man en familie?
Hvorfor hvorfor klog og hvorfor dum
Hvorfor har alle ikke kasketter på?
Hvorfor har jeg en mor?
Hvorfor har vi biler?
Hvorfor hvorfor hvid og hvorfor sort
Hvorfor har jeg venner?
Hvorfor er der noget der hedder tid?
Hvorfor skal jeg sove?
Hvorfor hvorfor sol og hvorfor regn
Hvorfor har et hus i Rom hul i loftet?
Hvorfor skal jeg lave det her?
Hvorfor skal vi i skole klokken 8?
Hvorfor hvorfor smuk og hvorfor grim
Hvorfor går voksne ikke i skole?
Hvorfor er der dyr der kan dræbe en?
Hvorfor er lyset gult?
Hvorfor hvorfor stor og hvorfor lille
Hvorfor er vandet blåt?
Hvorfor skal man have et navn?
Hvorfor er jorden ikke trekantet?
Hvorfor hvorfor glad og hvorfor vred
Hvorfor er der så mange forskellige lande?
Hvorfor er der en tyngdekraft?
Hvorfor får man onde drømme?
Hvorfor hvorfor tørt og hvorfor vådt
Hvorfor skal der være forskel på piger og drenge?
Hvorfor har vi brug for at vide noget?
Hvorfor opfandt man penge?
Hvorfor hvorfor rig og hvorfor fattig
Hvorfor skal man tisse og lave pølser?
Hvorfor har alle mennesker ikke samme hudfarve?
Hvorfor eksisterer mennesket?
Hvorfor hvorfor lang og hvorfor kort
Hvorfor har geder skæg?
Hvorfor bliver dyr sparket?
Hvorfor har nogle store tænder og andre små tænder?
Hvorfor hvorfor her og hvorfor der
Hvorfor er rotter skadedyr?
Hvorfor slår man prutter?
Hvorfor har en torsk skæl?
Hvorfor hvorfor mig og hvorfor dig
Hvorfor falder bladene ned om efteråret?
Hvorfor får mænd skæg når kvinder ikke får skæg?
Hvorfor taler alle lande ikke samme sprog?
Hvorfor hvorfor kold og hvorfor varm
Hvorfor sidder alle lande i verden ikke sammen?
Hvorfor keder vi os?
Hvorfor blæser vinden?
Hvorfor hvorfor ud og hvorfor ind
Hvorfor er fred bedre end krig?
Hvorfor er gud en gammel mand?
Hvorfor er der fattige mennesker?
Hvorfor hvorfor op og hvorfor ned
Jeg skal spørge om alt jeg ikke ved
Bjørn Nørgaard at the opening of NOW HERE, THEN THERE (PART 1)
Courtesy of the artist and Galleri Susanne Ottesen. Photo by Stine Heger
About The Artist
Bjørn Nørgaard (b. 1947, Copenhagen, Denmark) lives and works between Copenhagen and Møn, Denmark. Nørgaard was part of The Experimental Art School (The Ex-School) (1964-1969), and from 1985-1993 he was the Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
Major solo exhibitions include CAFA Art Museum, Peking, China (2014); the National Gallery of Denmark (SMK), Copenhagen, Denmark (2010); Horsens Kunstmuseum, Horsens, Denmark (2010); Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany (2009); Museum Fridericianum, Kassel, Germany (1999); Tallinn Art Hall, Tallinn, Estonia (1994) and ARoS, Aarhus, Denmark (1986). Nørgaard represented Denmark at EXPO 2000, Hannover in 2000 and did the Danish Pavillion at the 29th Venice Biennale in 1980. Nørgaard has participated in international group exhibitions, including the 4th International Istanbul Biennale in 1995 and The Biennale of Sydney in Australia in 1990. Among awards he received the European Badge of Honor, Pro Arte (2000), Ingenio et Arti Ordenen (1999), the Thorvaldsen Medal (1996), the Medal of Prins Eugen (1995), Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog (1994), the Eckersberg Medal (1985) and the DAAD scholarship in Berlin (1985). Among numerous site specific works, Nørgaard realised the Gobelin tapestries for the Queen of Denmark, decorating the Great Hall at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen (1988-2000) and realised the Sarcophague for Queen Margrethe II in Saint Birgitta’s Chapel in Roskilde Cathedral ( 2003 – 2018).
The artist is represented in several prominent public collections worldwide, notably ARoS, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Denmark (SMK) in Denmark; Kunsthalle zu Kiel in Germany; Henie-Onstad Kunstsenter in Norway; Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst in the Netherlands; Moderna Museet in Sweden and Kunstmuseum Luzern in Switzerland.
Bjørn Nørgaard is represented by Galleri Susanne Ottesen
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