Tidsspiger | A commissioned work for The Danish Ministry of Defence Estate Agency/Nyboder | Photo: Jenny Sundby & Brian Kure

“Tidsspiger” by artist Eau Pernice is a fragmented artwork exploring themes such as the passage of time, the preservation of history, and the strengthening of community. The artwork was created for Nyboder Campus, where students from the Royal Danish Defence College live, and consists of hundreds of spigere (an old word for nails), symbolizing the connection to Nyboder’s history.

The individual “Tidsspiger” sculptures are nail-like installations placed in each residence. Each spiger has a practical function, allowing residents to hang items on it, but it also holds symbolic meaning: all the Tidsspiger are mounted at angles pointing towards Nyboder’s Memorial Rooms – a museum that presents Nyboder’s history. Here, one can find the “Moderværk” (Motherpiece), a plaque explaining the project and tying the work together.

Since the work is continuously installed in the process of renovating the Nyboder housing complex it is yet unknown when the remaining Tidsspigere will be installed. They are currently contained in a glass suitcase at Kastellet as a reminder of what is yet to come.

The artwork is intended as a housewarming gift for the students, but it also serves as a means to keep Nyboder’s history alive. With its sculptural form, the Tidsspiger invites curiosity and conversation, becoming a living part of the community by integrating into the residents’ daily lives. Tidsspiger seeks to expand the concept of public art to the medium of storytelling, insisting that a passed-down narrative is also a public space capable of containing art. Thus, the story of Tidsspiger continues through storytelling – and information in the rental contracts.

“Tidsspiger” marks the historical Nyboder while also serving as a memory of the future.