Scan Magazine
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Experience of the Month
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Denmark
Experience of the Month, Denmark
Discover the world of Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Explore a new exhibition that spotlights the life, legacy, and groundbreaking work of Denmark’s most influential female sculptor. Since opening on 21 June at TID Museum for Odense, the exhibition Anne Marie Carl‑Nielsen. Sculpting Lives invites visitors into an immersive sculptural realm. By Heidi Kokborg
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Photos: Ard Jongsma
Anne Marie Carl‑Nielsen (1863–1945) was a pioneer. As the first woman to execute both an equestrian statue of a monarch and monumental bronze doors for a cathedral, she redefined the possibilities of public sculpture. The exhibition Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen. Sculpting Lives brings her work and vision into the present, offering an encounter with an artist whose presence remains relevant. With nearly 200 original models and sculptures on display, ranging from intimate studies to grand figures, the exhibition is a celebration of her artistic mastery and timeless worldview. A sculptural bond with nature Born and raised on a farm in southern Denmark, Anne Marie Carl‑Nielsen grew 82 | Issue 181 |
August 2025
up surrounded by animals – horses, cattle, sheep – and it was here that she developed her instinctive connection to the living form. That early exposure became the foundation for a sculptural style deeply rooted in movement, anatomy, and vitality. Her horses, bulls, mermaids, and centaurs do not just depict; they breathe, move, and radiate intent. “She believed in the life force as what connects people, animals, and nature. She created sculptures that pulse with life and movement,” says Emilie Boe Bierlich, curator of the exhibition and head of the Anne Marie Carl‑Nielsen Centre. In Anne Marie Carl‑Nielsen’s hands, materials like clay, bronze, plaster and wax are shaped into organic forms
where humans and animals exist not in hierarchy, but in harmony. This philosophy runs through the entire exhibition. As visitors move through the space, they are invited to experience Anne Marie Carl‑Nielsen’s perspective not as a historical artefact but as a living idea – one that challenges how we understand ourselves in relation to the world around us. “She didn’t see humans as above nature. Quite the opposite: she let everything melt together in a living whole,” says Bierlich. From national landmarks to delicate artwork Anne Marie Carl‑Nielsen is widely recognised for her public commissions, which broke new ground both artistically and socially. Her equestrian statue of Christian IX in Copenhagen and the bronze doors for Ribe Cathedral remain national landmarks. Their scale is commanding and their detail astonishing, but when displayed alongside her more delicate works, they offer a fuller picture