Sculpture in the city

Lea Guldditte Hestelund:
The Keeper

Ongoing

In the roundabout at the end of Køge's central street Brogade stands the sculpture The Keeper. Seen from behind, the sculpture initially resembles a large boulder, but as you move around it, you are in for a surprise.

Photo: Torben Eskerod

At the roundabout by the city’s water tower at the end of Køge Midtby’s central Brogade stands the sculpture The Keeper. Seen from behind, the sculpture initially looks like a large boulder, but as you move around it, you are in for a surprise. The interior of the sculpture is a hollow space that encloses a finely polished egg. The stone’s opening leads out to two feet, resembling thick bear paws, which gently guard and protect the egg – and those who wish to crawl inside the stone.

The sculpture is created by Danish visual artist Lea Guldditte Hestelund. She explains the work: The Keeper is the first of its kind: a public sculpture that, within its body, also houses other bodies. It is a place to take refuge, find shelter, and hide. In a way, it is also a mother sculpture to the extensive decoration I am working on for the new Zealand University Hospital in Køge.

 

Photo: Torben Eskerod

‘The Keeper is the first of its kind: a public sculpture that contains other bodies within its own.’

Lea Guldditte Hestelund

Photo: Torben Eskerod

With a generous donation from Ny Carlsbergfondet, The Keeper became part of the MAPS collection in 2024 – the first artwork ever placed in the public space, where it is accessible to all, 24/7, just a five-minute walk from the museum.

The Keeper was created for the exhibition Hummings – an ambitious international exhibition produced by MAPS that unfolded in the public spaces and landscapes of Køge from August 14 to September 26, 2021.

LOCATION

MAPS
Nørregade 29,
4600 Køge

Opening hours

Tue – Sun: 11am–5pm

CAFÉ
Tue – Sat + 1st Sunday every month: 12–4pm