In the middle of Varde, an ordinary alley changes character: Here Otto Frello’s visual world fills the walls between Otto Frello’s Square and King Svend’s Square. The motifs are large enough that you almost feel drawn into them, but it is the small details that keep your attention fixed.
The gable paintings are based on enlarged sketches by Frello, and they are painted on two gables in the town center. Frello’s images often blend everyday reality with something more unsettled and supernatural, so you can stand before a familiar scene and still get the feeling that something is about to happen.
This is not art that requires museum silence. Children can look for figures and quirky details, while adults can linger over the craftsmanship, the illusions, and the lifelike surfaces. A rope ladder or a piece of the North Sea can suddenly seem more physical than a painted wall ought to allow.
The alley is close to Museum Frello on Kirkepladsen 1, where the indoor collection of the artist’s works is located. The gables therefore function as an outdoor preview of the universe – or as an afterimage when you come out of the museum again.
The experience takes place outdoors in the urban space, and the practical address for the area is Kirkepladsen 1 in Varde. In the same part of town you will also find places to eat, including around Varde Torv and Otto Frello’s Square.
