Decoration

The decoration of Ordrup Upper Secondary is one of the good stories. This is a total decoration of a large school, involving parents, teachers and students in a week-long workshop that came to last a month, and turned the trajectory for a school that had been threatened by closure. 

Teacher and union representative at the time, Kjeld Manzanti told us about the process. 

“This school was in terrible condition, and the Greater Copenhagen County wouldn’t spend a penny because there were plans to shut it down. So, one night some students painted their own classroom, just to demonstrate that it was possible. On that basis we applied for Fords Initiative Prize and received 25.000 DKK. Somebody suggested we contact Poul Gernes. He came here with Eva Karin Thomsen and Henrik Norn and said, yes, if we’d do the work, he’d do the design." 

"At that time, I probably had no idea what it would like. Everything had to be washed down, and everything had to be coloured. Every classroom has a unique colour scheme. Gernes looked around and asked if the teachers were ever pissed off at the students. Sure, that happens, I replied. Well, then the colour must be yellow up there, where the teacher is standing. That has a calming effect. At the same time, the teacher must have another colour to look at. Then there will be harmony in the classroom, and the students will get better grades. I didn’t completely agree with him on that one. But in any case, his idea was that everything should be decorated, and vulgar things should be avoided.” 

“Then we got hold of Dyrup, and asked if they would sponsor some paint, and they agreed. They had no idea how much it would be. But in the meantime, we’d contacted Danmarks Radio and the mass media, and they thought it was a good story, that the students were painting their own school. So, reluctantly, Dyrup delivered all the paint. The students thought they were the ugliest colours. But Gernes liked those young people who went like, hey Professor, what the heck are those colours? Then he started to explain, and it turned into an incredibly good synergy." 

"He also taught them artistic discipline: That things acquire character when somebody makes an effort. Thought has been put into it, and it is not until you see the colours together, that it really works. At the time, there were many dark passageways. It was dreary, and suddenly the light was crashing in.”