Super A | ‘Unfold’

The red line in the work of Stefan Thelen, also known as Super A, is contradiction.

His work explores the tension of two worlds. Worlds that collide, complement, or strengthen one another.

Depending on the story he wants to tell, Super A adopts different visual styles to translate these contrasts.

Through these visual layers, Super A tells his stories and invites the viewer into his world. For this mural, the goal was to create a visual expression in which the green areas along the bridge and the people of the city merge into a single motif, symbolizing the connection between people, the town, and nature. The metaphors found in the fairy tales of H.C. Andersen inspired this mural in Nørresundby, Denmark, and are woven throughout the composition. The Little Match Girl symbolizes the contrast between the lack of human connection and the world of social media, reinforced by the contrast between cold and warm light. The Ugly Duckling and the swan; The Conceited Apple Branch appears opposite a dandelion and a dahlia; The real nightingale faces the mechanical nightingale, both standing on a set of balancing scales, emphasizing the tension and harmony between the two worlds. The two cartoon characters from Thumbelina stand on a bridge connecting the two wings of the composition. These elements literally symbolize balance and the bridging of opposing worlds, just as the bridge behind the mural physically connects Aalborg and Nørresundby. In doing so, the bridge becomes a powerful metaphor for finding balance between contrasting forces.