Statens Museum for Kunst Announces 2009 Schedule of Exhibitions

Tuesday, 23 December 2008 00:14

 

COPENHAGEN, DK - Two full-scale retrospective exhibitions of Wilhelm Freddie and Nicolai Abildgaard, at the  beautiful location in the Østre Anlæg park in central Copenhagen, near the Nørreport and Østerport stations, you will find Statens Museum for Kunst, Denmark’s national gallery. The picturesque old museum building is what catches your eye first. Once inside, a wide vista opens up; a view through the old and the new buildings and out into the surrounding park. The framework is spectacular and made for the museum’s rich collections of Danish and international art.

WILHELM FREDDIE / STICK THE FORK IN YOUR EYE!
28 FEBRUARY – 1 JUNE 2009

Wilhelm Freddie (1909-1995) is a completely unique figure in Danish art, who was inspired in his stubborn opposition to the etiquette of the age by the new trends of the international art scene and became one of the major surrealists in Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. This comprehensive exhibition marks the centenary of Freddie’s birth and includes more than 130 works, plus reproductions of many now lost works, covering all aspects of his oeuvre: paintings, collages and sculptures.

There is also a presentation of the less well known sides of this controversial and multi-talented artist’s work, including films, ballet, dress design, window decorations and happenings. We are presented with a new picture of an artist who notoriously staged himself and who had made experimentation the leading light of his life work. His departure point was surrealism from which he constantly forged new paths, and his original concern with the most essential aspects of human experience still seems fresh and flippant.

OPEN WORKSHOP / IN FULL BLOOM: THE GOTTORFER CODEX
8 MARCH – 9 AUGUST 2009

Follow the conservators restoring the Museum’s unique and hitherto inaccessible 4-volume florilegium (flower book) on parchment from 17th century Gottorp Castle in South Schleswig. The restoration of the delicate gouaches will be undertaken before your eyes in one of the exhibition rooms of the Museum. The public will be able to follow the small but visible progress day by day, and gain an insight into the minute work of the conservators.

SUMMER EXHIBITION / NEW ACQUISITIONS
2 MAY – 9 AUGUST 2009

A presentation of new acquisitions and donations to the Museum in recent years. The exhibition shows a great number of the finest acquisitions of Danish and international art with superb works from the early Renaissance to the latest contemporary art.

CHRISTIAN LEMMERZ/LARGO
16 MAY – 6 MARCH 2010

There is a critical meeting between the present day and classical education and romantic wit in the works of the German-born Danish sculptor Christian Lemmerz (b. 1959). As in its musical namesake, LARGO demands a slow tempo as the underlying rhythm when the body is confronted by the long stretch between birth and death. The installation, which consists of completely new works in bronze, has been specially created for the Museum’s venue.

NICOLAI ABILDGAARD
29 AUGUST 2009 – 3 JANUARY 2010

The works of one of the major figures of Danish art are presented on a larger scale than ever before, where we experience both the breadth and the main works of this versatile and in many ways controversial artist. Nicolai Abildgaard (1743-1809) was active at a time of political unrest and upheaval when there was a sharp confrontation between tradition and renewal. As a young artist he rebelled against the current classicism and his political views were quickly affected by inspirations from the French Revolution in particular. This exhibition celebrates the bicentenary of his death and is one of the most all-embracing presentations of his oeuvre ever. His paintings are the main focus, but drawings, graphic art and furniture design also contribute to a picture of the breadth of his production and artistic work. The exhibition is the result of collaboration between the Louvre in Paris and Hamburger Kunsthalle, where it will be shown first.

Visit the Statens Museum for Kunst at : http://www.smk.dk/smk.nsf/docs/forside!opendocument

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