Paintings by Søren Martinsen

"Oh! How nice it was in the countryside"

Would say Hans Christian Andersen in his famous story “The Ugly Duckling.” As in the story of the little swan, the works of Danish artist Søren Martinsen confront the myth of the countryside harmonious and idyllic lifestyle.Even though Martinsen seems to fit into an artistic tradition of classic landscape paintings – a tradition born in Denmark around the Golden Age of Danish Painting with painters such as J. Th. Lundbye and Christen Købke, his work however tackles other issues.Martinsen does not blindly follow the tradition; he probes and challenges it. His landscapes are bathed in a disturbing atmosphere created by unexpected and unrealistic elements, fragmented compositions and psychedelic colors. When working on his subject matter and motifs, Martensen’s goal is to part them from their concrete reality, and embark the spectator into an inner and subjective journey. www.sorenmartinsen.comCurators: Karen B. Stevns and Maren BramsenPlease contact the Embassy of Denmark press service for any additional information or to request high-definition visuals: Rebecca Helewa Graversen at rebgra@um //(+33) 1 44 31 21 15.