Reading woman

Title and year
Reading woman, 1973

Material
Bronze

Artist
Ulf Rasmussen, 1913-1997

Location
Aabenraa Bibliotek, Haderslevvej, Aabenraa

Description

The motif of a woman reading was an obvious choice for a sculpture set outside South Jutland’s regional library (Det Sønderjyske Landsbibliotek), established in 1973 and known today as Aabenraa Library (Aabenraa Bibliotek). Ulf Rasmussen liked the monumental style, and he would work and rework the same simple motifs again and again, often portraying birds, animals, plants, or people.

The sculpture’s location was reconsidered in connection with the Reunification centennial in 2020, when Aabenraa Municipality converted the area in front of the historic Folkehjem building and Aabenraa Library into the Reunification Park (Genforeningsparken). Today, Reading woman sits here as a reminder that the area is more than an important memorial space for the whole South Jutland region; it is also an active, vibrant recreational space.