By Lone Bechmann, Strategic Adviser, Dean’s Office, Faculty of Medicine. Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication. Photos: Lars Horn

What do you do when problems are mounting? You inspire and show opportunities for action. At least that's how Dean Lars Hvilsted Rasmussen chose to use his New Year's remarks to SUND staff at the annual New Year's reception.

- We are currently on the threshold of a new era and a once in a lifetime opportunity with our new faculty building AAU SUND. In this setting, we have the very best conditions for becoming a leader in digital health and known for[LI1]  doctors and engineers – and other disciplines – who find solutions together, said Lars Hvilsted Rasmussen.

He encouraged his staff to be inspired by each other – but also by another ambitious health science community in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Broad Institute.

- They are known for being the ones who mapped the human genome. But they're not just hardcore science. They are also a community of people who are completely dedicated to understanding the really big problems around human health and finding solutions by bringing together all the best minds and ideas.

Listen to Lars Hvilsted Rasmussens New Year’s speech here (with English subtitles): 

Art in AAU SUND

In addition to the award of the Svend Andersen Foundation's Prizes and the celebration of this year's teacher of the year there was also a visit by artist duo AVPD, Aslak Vibæk and Peter Døssing, the artists behind the three works in AAU SUND. 

- At SUND we don't give up. We keep searching for solutions. This should also be our “artistic vein”, and it became the concept for "possible impossible", Peter Døssing said.

The most eye-catching work of art is Mass. A large globular body looming in the air in one atrium of AAU SUND that moves randomly around in the space based on an algorithm.

- Mass makes the impossible possible. We wanted to influence the building in a very physical and direct way with something that could actually damage the building unless you used all kinds of engineering and architectural ingenuity to avoid it! It was supposed to weigh the same as an African male elephant. But at a construction meeting, one of the engineers, who had done many calculations on the block, asked whether we could settle for an Indian male elephant that weighs much less instead. And we landed on that. So, the work weighs about 1 ton.

AVPD's other works in the building are "Opacity" – five transparent screens that hang[LI1]  like mobiles[LB2]  in the other atrium and act as lenses for the eye, creating new visual impressions as they slowly rotate around. And "Mural" – a building-integrated work where a wall-mounted plotter registers everyone entering[LI3]  AAU SUND and puts a spot on the wall. Based on a random algorithm, the spots slowly develop into a mural. 

Aslak Vibæk and Peter Døssing both graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.