AP Pension – Art as an Integral Element

In AP Pension’s new headquarters in Nordhavn, art has been integrated from the very beginning as part of the building’s architectural and conceptual foundation. Five artists are represented in the building’s atrium, three of whom have been presented through Galleri Franz Pedersen. The project was developed in close dialogue between architects, AP Pension, the artists, and Galleri Franz Pedersen, with the ambition of creating a permanent, site-specific integration of art in which the works do not merely decorate the space but function as structural and conceptual elements, all conceived with sustainability in mind.

As a gallery, we have curated and realized an artistic solution where contemporary art and architecture merge into a cohesive narrative. The works are integrated into the building itself and support both the building’s identity and AP Pension’s core values.

Three prominent contemporary artists – Maria Rubinke, Michael Kvium, and Jacob Rantzau – each contribute site-specific works that are embedded within the structure and everyday life of the building. The result is a space where art becomes an active presence in daily life: sensory, reflective, and deeply rooted in the culture of the place.

Photographs of the Installation

The atrium constitutes the central space within AP’s overarching artistic vision, functioning as both an architectural and visual focal point for the project. Here, the building’s functional structure converges with artistic interventions that activate the space across levels and perspectives.

Michael Kvium’s monumental floor work extends across more than 1,200 square meters and was created in collaboration with Italian mosaic artisans. The piece reveals itself differently depending on the viewer’s position within the building, offering a dynamic and evolving visual experience.

Fotos by Anders Sune Berg

About AP pension

AP Pension was founded in 1919, when a group associated with the Danish cooperative movement established a pension company for employees within cooperative enterprises. The founding principle was that profits should benefit the customers—a vision that continues to underpin the company to this day.

The company remains customer-owned, independent, and democratically governed, with a strong emphasis on long-term responsibility in its pension operations. AP Pension actively works to prevent and reduce the negative impacts of its activities while managing associated risks.

AP Pension adheres to international standards for responsible business conduct, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines. As a pension provider, sustainability is an integrated element of both its investment strategies and the artistic expression embedded within the project.

Fotos: ”Holy Cow Media, Kasper Orthmann Andersen,
Photographer, filmproducer”.

The CEO’s Perspective on the Project

In an interview with Erhvervslivets kulturpriss, Bo Normann, CEO of AP Pension, shared his reflections on the role of art within the company:

“Art plays a central and multifaceted role at AP Pension. It serves as a visual and cultural link back to our origins in 1919 and helps maintain our connection to our roots in nature and agriculture. At the same time, art is a source of inspiration and creativity in everyday life—it encourages new ways of thinking, while also offering space for calm and reflection. (…)”

In the interview, Normann also reflects on the role of art from a leadership perspective:

“As a leader, I see art as a gift from AP Pension to our employees—a gift that extends beyond the aesthetic and contributes to dialogue, reflection, and a sense of community. The artworks invite conversations about difference and interpretation, and it is precisely through these conversations that we grow to better understand one another and our shared workplace. (…)”

Normann also offers advice to others looking to integrate art into their organizations:

“My best advice is to begin with the end in mind—be clear about the purpose of the art and the desired scope before selecting the artists. Once the framework is in place, the artists should be given the freedom to unfold their creativity. It is within that freedom that the most meaningful and inspiring works emerge.”

Works in Focus

Jacob Rantzau works with monumental oil paintings in which the human figure is situated within the Danish landscape—along coastlines, in water, and across open fields. His works merge classical realism with expressive brushwork and a pronounced material presence.

The motifs engage with the crises of our time: climate, overconsumption, and humanity’s relationship with the world around us. The figures appear both tangible and symbolic, caught in moments that balance between the grounded and the allegorical.

The paintings are the result of extensive studies, photographic references, and numerous preparatory sketches. Taken together, the works point to both the responsibility and the vulnerability of humanity in a time of transformation.

Tidens Krav

340 x 200 | 2024 | Oil on Canvas

Forsake The Elevated Past

200 x 160 | 2024 | Oil on Canvas

Don't Point Your Finger

200 x 160 | 2024 | Oil on Canvas

Golden Age

300 x 200 | 2024 | Oil on Canvas

Forandret af verden

340 x 200 | 2024 | Oil on Canvas

Burn Your Fire for No Witness

365 x 245 | 2024 | Oil on Canvas

Videos

Video: ”Holy Cow Media, Kasper Orthmann Andersen,
fotograf, filmproducer”.

The Artists’ Process

Jacob Rantzau works with a methodical approach, developing numerous sketches, studies, and iterations before the final painting takes form. His motifs are often staged through his own photographs, where friends and acquaintances serve as models in carefully composed settings.

Back in the studio, the material is refined over an extended period, with the motif revisited and developed through repetition. He studies light, water, and movement with meticulous attention, coming to understand the image in its finest details. At the same time, space is left for intuition and energetic brushwork to emerge.

Behind the Project

Galleri Franz Pedersen has served as artistic advisor and curatorial link between the artists and the client throughout the entire development and realization process. We take great pride in having contributed to the creation of this permanent installation, where artists have been given the opportunity to work at a monumental scale, with site-specific anchoring, and as co-narrators of AP Pension’s identity and vision.

The collaboration began with an informal conversation with AP Pension’s CEO, Bo Normann, back in 2019, where an initial idea of integrating art into a new setting quickly evolved into a broader vision: to create a building in which art grows in tandem with the architecture and the culture that inhabits it on a daily basis.

It has been a privilege for us, as a gallery, to witness the artists unfold their practices on a grand scale—embedded into walls, cast in bronze, and laid out as birch forms in terrazzo across the ground floor. In other words, the art is not merely installed but activated, shaping the everyday experience of those who work in the building and those who visit. It is sensuous, reflective, insistent, and deeply present.

A publication has been produced to document the project, capturing both the works and the interplay between art and architecture. The book can be experienced at Galleri Franz Pedersen, and we warmly welcome you to the gallery.

Awards, Nominations and Certifications

The Natural Stone Award

The project has been awarded the 2025 Natural Stone Award, recognizing its holistic and refined use of natural stone—from precisely crafted floors and staircases to the reception desk and detailed material applications that elevate the overall aesthetic expression.

One of the most striking elements is Michael Kvium’s floor mosaic in the atrium, executed in the Palladiana technique using more than 100 types of European natural stone. The floor acts as a visual centerpiece of the building—an artistic and tactile landscape underfoot that connects the spaces and creates a strong visual flow throughout.

The award underscores the project’s ambition to unite advanced craftsmanship, material excellence, and artistic vision, demonstrating how art and architecture can generate value for both spatial experience and brand identity in a contemporary corporate context.