Collaborations

For 70 years, theHouse of Denmark and the Cultural Service of the Danish Embassy have beenforging links with institutions in France through collaborations, exchanges and partnerships.

Below are a few examples:

Vikings
In 1992, the Grand Palais in Paris organised the exhibition ‘The Vikings. The Scandinavians and Europe 800-1200’ to introduce the French to Nordic antiquity.

The exhibition was a unique collaboration between Nordic actors and museums in Denmark, Norway,Sweden, Finland and Iceland.

A wide range of artefacts were displayed, including clothing, jewellery, architectural elements, ritual objects, boats and tapestries.

In April of the same year, the House of Denmark organised the exhibition ‘The ancestors of the Vikings, archaeological evidence from Denmark’ to highlight the work of the Danish archaeologist and prehistorian Christian Jürgensen Thomsen (1788-1865).

The three-age system (theStone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age) is attributed to him, making him the founding father of modern prehistoric chronology.

Gauguin
In 2014, acollaboration between La Piscine - Musée d'art et d'industrie André Diligent in Roubaix and the House of Denmark introduced the Franco-Danish sculptor andceramist Jean-René Gauguin (1881-1961) to the French audience, thanks to thein valuable work of Jean-Loup Champion who curated and initiated thisgroundbreaking exhibition.

‘Today's presentationof the work of Jean-René Gauguin builds a new bridge between our two countries, as if to bring together the two facets of an artist who was little known in France, even though he was a citizen of that country for the first thirty years of his life, and who built his career on this permanent journey between the chosen territory of his maternal roots and the invasive references of hispaternal heritage’ Marius Hansteen, Cultural Advisor. 

Peter Martensen
In 2017, the House of Denmark embarked on a collaboration with the Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole on a project focusing on the work of Peter Martensen, a major figure on the Danish contemporary art scene. The exhibition ‘Ravage’ was the artist's first solo show on the French institutional scene. First presented in spring 2017 in Saint-Etienne, it was then shown at the House of Denmark.

Introducing the French public to dynamic Danish craft and design.

2004

The ‘Walk the plank I and II’ exhibitionshowed the result of a collaboration between thirty Danish designers, each associated with two young cabinetmakers who had all worked on and interpreted the inert object that is a plank of wood.

The result of this challenge: 30 imaginativeprototypes that illustrate the rapport between craftsmen and designers.

An initiative by Louise Campbell and SebastianHolmbäck. 

2015

’The Cabinetmakers‘ Autumn Exhibition’ is anannual platform for cabinetmakers and designers to showcase their experiments.

In 2015, the chosen theme was ‘SMALL’, and 45designer/producer teams were asked to create a small, elegant piece offurniture showcasing meticulous craftsmanship and professional pride.
The touring exhibition began its journey at the Øregaard Museum in Copenhagen in September and was then presented at the House of Denmark in winter 2015. 

2017

The House of Denmark joined the ‘ParcoursBijoux’ that took place in Paris in autumn 2017, with the exhibition ‘Bring ItOn’.

The exhibition offered a look at the current jewellery art scene in Denmark. 26 contemporary jewellery artists were brought together to present the art of Danish jewellery in full bloom.
Staged and assembled by Art Jewellery Copenhagen, ‘Bring It On’ invited visitors on a journey through design objects and body art, all bearing witness to a solid tradition of craftsmanship. 

Following a renovation of the exhibitionspace by the COBE agency in 2021, Le Bicolore, a contemporary art programme, presentsa broad spectrum of exhibitions throughout the year: from paintings to textileart, design and architecture, right through to virtual reality. Le Bicolore also has a digital platform offering podcasts, articles, videos and virtualtours.

 
‘A burst ofsunshine’ - art from the Faroe Islands, January 2022.

The Faroe Islands(Føroyar) are an archipelago of 18 islands in the Atlantic Ocean between Scotland and Iceland, with a population of around 53,300. Theterritory is attached to the Kingdom of Denmark but enjoys a high level of autonomy.

In January 2022, the exhibition ‘A burst ofsunshine’ gave a glimpse of 20th and 21st century Faroese art through thefigurative and abstract works of Ingálvur av Reyni (1920-2005), ZachariasHeinesen (b. 1936), Hansina Iversen (b. 1966) and Rannvá Kunoy (b. 1975).

Numerous activities were organised as part of the exhibition, including literary evenings, film screenings, artist talks,knitting workshops, guided tours, concerts and culinary tastings.

The exhibition was organised in collaboration with Listasavn Føroya, the national art museum, and the Faroese government.