BIFROST - FOF's art school for the mentally handicapped.

Bifrost Art School started in 1995 with room for 10 students expanding in November 2000 to accommodate 15 students.
There are 5 teachers on the staff of Bifrost and all have a teacher training and art background.
The teachers' timetable is such that there are always 3 teachers at the school, the remaining 2 having time off to work
on their own art projects.

A placement at Bifrost gives the students the opportunity of being a part of an artistic environment where they can
develop their skills, work in depth and discover new means of expressing themselves.

We work with various mediums and techniques in the areas of drawing, painting, graphics and sculpture. We work with
colour and mediums and the students are also taught some history of art. They work individually but with class teaching
in connection with any visits to museums and galleries. The school year ends with an exhibition of the students' work.
Their work is also regularly exhibited at home and abroad. Students who are considering a year at the art school can
come for a trial period in order to find out whether working with art is of interest to them.

Fifty pupils have passed through Bifrost since the start in 1995. Several of them have made great progress over
the years, planning their own relevant projects which have enabled them to develop artistically. They are incredibly
productive and have exhibited their work regularly.

In addition to exhibitions in Denmark, the Bifrost students have exhibited their work in Japan, Ireland, Germany,
Scotland, Hungary, France, Belgium and Finland - individually or as a member of a group. Some of our students have
given talks on their own work, been the subject of a TV2 programme or taken part in censored exhibitions in France
and Germany. Others have worked on large decorative projects.

A handicap is often synonymous with limitations but when you view the work of the mentally handicapped it is vital to
look at things from many different angles. As teachers, we have often had to admit that we are the ones responsible
for introducing many of the limitations that may have cropped up.

Per Hede produces a CD cover for Klub 85’s band

Tetsuko Matzusuka is our guest teacher for a week –
the theme is Japan

Bente – one-woman exhibition at Sct. Peder’s Church, Randers

Bifrost included in a Japanese book on Outsider Art

Exhibition at the main branch of Sparekassen Kronjylland –
4 works are chosen for publication in a calendar –
We receive 25.000 kr.

Judith – one-woman exhibition at Cykel Børsen in Randers

Kenneth – one-man exhibition at Project Ability in Scotland.
Pia accompanies Kenneth who talks about his work in Scotland.

Kenneth on TV2 (‘Kurt pays a visit’)

5 AF VORES ELEVER DELTAGER I LANDART, - AJSTRUPLUND

5 of our students are represented at Landart at Ajstruplund

Kenneth decorates a wall for Klub 85

Bifrost participates in a workshop in Ireland. Exhibitions thereafter in
Dublin Civic Building, the University of Leipzig and Gaia Museum

Guest teacher, Birgit Horn - course on watercolours

Art Aparte 2 is exhibited at the Town Hall in Copenhagen as a part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of LEV. Kenneth accompanies the Danish queen round the exhibition. Coverage in all Danish magazines and newspapers and wide television coverage.

6 students chosen to exhibit at the 5th Universal Print Show in Glasgow

4 students paint a concrete horse as part of the Randers Horse Art Show

LKU and Bifrost organise Art Aparte 1, the first censored
exhibition of work by the mentally handicapped in Denmark

We travel to Holland and Belgium to look at the options for a museum

Peter Lauersen’s film and book on Bifrost – premiere 7th December 1999

Study trip to Kirsten Kjær Museum in Thy

The Art School moves to Handihuset, Niels Brocks Gade 10, Randers

Judith exhibits at the Louvre in Paris where she is present at the opening

Handihuset, our arts centre, is officially opened on 31st May, 2000

Exhibition at Gallery Gallo in Århus

The first evening class – 5 students

We start LKU (National Association of Art Schools for the Mentally
Handicapped) in collaboration with Mosaikken in Viborg and
Karavana in Århus

Randers Kommune purchases 10 pictures

FOF’s Art School for the Mentally Handicapped is renamed ‘Bifrost’

Poster for the theatre troupe, ‘Nørderne’ – (‘Vild i Vesten’)

Exhibition at the Town Hall in Århus

First meeting of ‘Alumni Weekend’

Poster for theatre troupe, ‘Nørderne’ - (‘Livet er lutter lagkage’)

Peter Laursen starts his film project about our art school

Guest teacher – Chinese portrait artist

Students’ exhibition at Helligåndshuset in Randers

Illustrations in a book by Arne Hansen

Poster for theatre troupe, ‘Nørderne’
(Nominated as the poster of the year in Randers)

Our first exhibition at the main Arts and Culture Centre in Randers

We are on 2RTV