From Purls to Pearls: Isabel Berglund Exhibits at the Illum
In the heart of Copenhagen’s Illum department store, something unexpected has taken shape - a vast, hand-knitted textile landscape. Fluid Island of Pearls, an installation by Danish artist Isabel Berglund, spills through the multi-story atrium in waves of yarn, transforming the space with its flowing, organic forms. Suspended from the ceiling, it appears to both descend from above and rise from the ground, creating a striking balance between weightlessness and woollen density.
Floating Island of Pearls at The Factory for Art and Design Denmark: 2014
Berglund, known for her sculptural textile works, has spent months bringing this ambitious project to life. Working intensively at Statens Værksteder for Kunst, she meticulously crafted the knitted components and collaborated with artisans to construct the aluminium framework supporting the piece. The result is a seamless fusion of soft, fluid textiles and precise structural engineering.
Floating Island of Pearls at The Factory for Art and Design Denmark: 2014
At the core of Berglund’s practice is an exploration of craft, identity, and space. She works with hand-knitted yarn to blur the lines between softness and structure, abstraction and familiarity. Fluid Island of Pearls demonstrates this approach - reimagining everyday objects and materials in ways that feel both surreal and strangely familiar.
Hanging Furniture. GUBI Showroom Denmark, 2019
Her sculptural works quite literally knit together ideas of material, colour, and space. Often incorporating found objects, she creates pieces that shift between the abstract and the recognisable, revealing multiple layers as they unfold in the viewer’s gaze. She favours simple colour schemes that emphasise surface and texture, leaving loose ends and unfinished edges that highlight the tactile, handmade quality of her work.
Silhouettes of woman in the wind - A Social Art Project and Workshop at Fanø Art Museum Denmark, 2021
Collaboration is also a key part of Berglund’s practice. While Fluid Island of Pearls is a solo project, its placement in a busy public space naturally invites a shared experience, drawing in passersby and encouraging them to engage with textile art in a new way. As the light shifts throughout the day, the knitted textures catch and diffuse the sun’s rays, adding another dynamic element to the installation.
Fluid Island of Pearls is on display at Illum in Copenhagen from January 22nd to April 30th. If you happen to be in the city for some shopping, it’s well worth a look. Who knows, you might just be inspired to pick up some yarn and start knitting something abstract of your own.
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Further Information:
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Image Credits:
isabelberglund.dk