Keep me Warm

A lonely glowing radiator, familiar and comforting at first glance, yet clearly out of place. With Keep Me Warm, Thomas Bendiksen brings a familiar object into the public space to reflect on our shared dependence on warmth, not just physical, but emotional and social.

The piece becomes a quiet monument to our need for energy, shelter, and human connection during the darkest months of the year.

Bendiksen harnesses the quality of light and its physiological associations with the feeling of heat. Like a campfire, it draws us into its warm glow. However, we cannot toast a marshmallow on this radiator. Reflecting the same warm light from within houses, it symbolises how unevenly warmth and care are distributed in the world today.

As the cost of living rises and more people face displacement due to conflict and climate change, Keep Me Warm reminds us that even our most basic needs are becoming fragile. The artwork invites reflection on the social and material conditions that make us feel safe, and the small, everyday gestures that keep us connected.

About the Artist

Thomas Bendiksen (NO) is a lighting designer and artist based in Stavanger, Norway. Educated at the Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen, he has worked with light in the performing arts and the public realm for more than 25 years.
Bendiksen’s practice stems from a fascination with how light shapes human experience and collective identity. His work often addresses themes of sustainability, social connection and the fragile balance between human culture and the natural environment, presenting art with a strong visual identity that unites aesthetics with political intent.
He undertakes projects ranging from theatre lighting to large-scale light installations. His work is grounded in a site-specific approach and is characterised by its ability to transform everyday surroundings into reflective spaces for community engagement and dialogue.

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© Janus van der Eijnden