Delat klot

“Delat klot is one of a number of shapes I worked with for a period of time. […] In its own way, the sphere is an eternity symbol, rooted in the timeless imagery of the past and the future.” This is what the sculptor Lennart Kindgren wrote about his sculpture Delat klot, which could be translated in numerous different ways, from “Split Sphere” to “Shared Globe”.

We likely perceive a sphere shape as both whole and closed, perhaps immobile despite its easily rolling shape. But Kindgren has broken up the closed shape in order to infuse life into his artwork. By splitting, displacing and creating gaps, he has given the sculpture a varied composition. And as the sun moves across the sky, the shadows’ sharp lines and soft fluctuations move across the split sphere so that the appearance of the sculpture differs depending on the weather and time of day.

In designing the work, Kindgren wanted to choose materials, shapes and placement so that the sculpture would harmonize with the surrounding space. From which direction do you think the sphere does this best?

The sculpture was a gift from Folksam to the Municipality of Örebro. The end result does not exactly match the artist’s vision. Kindgren had suggested that the sphere should rest on the surface of a water mirror, so that it would look nearly weightless. But this did not happen. Instead, the work is flanked by a flower planter whose soft greenery forms a contrast to the grey tones and hard surfaces of the stone.

Lennart Kindgren was born in 1926 in Finspång and died in 1993 in Örebro. Over fifty of his public artworks are exhibited throughout Sweden. He was the brother of artists Bertil Bagare Kindgren and Maj Morin.