- Thursday 1 October
In the square in front of the Rock Museum in Musicon, three large goat horns rise up, with ribbons tied around them. The horns create a space where you can let your thoughts wander and ask yourself: Who is made a scapegoat – and why?
In the artist Noah Holtegaard’s work I Never Meant to Hurt Anyone, you step into a thought-provoking narrative about how guilt is assigned and negotiated. The ribbons winding around the horns are half red and half white, pointing to an old belief: that sins can be transferred and forgiven. At the same time, the colors hold an ambiguity—the red and the white exist side by side, making it unclear whether the guilt has been removed or still lingers.
The sculpture’s symbolism draws on stories of goats as carriers of human sins. In one story from the Old Testament, a goat is burdened with the community’s sins and sacrificed. In another, a red ribbon is tied around the horn, which, according to tradition, turns white when the sins are forgiven.
At the same time, the work points to how minorities at different times have been made scapegoats, both historically and today. This symbolism and theme are also found in music genres such as black and extreme metal, as well as other subcultures that exist outside the norm.
The artwork is on a journey starting at Nikolaj Kunsthal, then moving to Roskilde Festival 2026, after which it will be exhibited at Musicon and the Rock Museum until GRASP 2026. Through the collaboration between Roskilde Festival Group and the Rock Museum, it will serve over the summer as a symbol of the interplay between art, music, and creativity that defines Musicon and its local environment.
Noah Holtegaard is a nonbinary, transmasculine artist who primarily works digitally, using techniques such as image manipulation, digital weaving, CNC cutting, and animation. His art often revolves around queerness and minority themes, based on historical research. Noah aims to give a voice to those who have previously been excluded from the conversation and to shed new light on our shared history.
Participants
- Noah Holtegaard, DK
The session is presented by Rockmuseet and the Roskilde Festival Group