Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Art & Culture Special – Denmark
How do we define ourselves? Between 1976 and 1981, the Danish artist Bodil Kaalund (1930-2016), alongside the local community, was decorating Lemvig church. This sparked an interest in art, in particular religious art, causing a range of existential questions about life, death and everything in between. As such, Lemvig became the perfect place to establish Museet for Religiøs Kunst (the Museum of Religious Art) in 1994. The museum was set up to try to answer some of the questions about life that had been raised, and to do so through art. “I think that many people expect a museum like ours to be solely based on religion and religious figures, but actually we’re focused on trying to look at the many different ways of defining ourselves,” explains museum director Christine Løventoft. “We collaborate with other museums in Denmark and Europe to create thought-provoking and exciting exhibitions. Our next exhibition is about otherness, and about how ‘the other’ in art has shaped our own identity,” she says. The exhibitions are spread across five rooms in the museum, which has breath-taking views over the Lemvig fjord.
“I think it’s really important in this day and age to spend some time reflecting on who we are. At the museum, we’re trying to look at the aspects of life that can be diffi-
By Josefine Older Steffensen
cult to talk about and give people the time and space to reflect,” says Løventoft. Museet for Religiøs Kunst is highly respected in the world of art and has 16,000 visitors a year. The museum creates relevant, surprising and exciting exhibitions and is definitely worth a visit.
Photo: Helene Høyer Mikkelsen
Web: www.mfrk.dk
Otherness exhibition poster: Martinus Rørbye, En siddende nubier, Rom, 1839. Belongs to Nivaagaards Malerisamling
Format Artspace offers exceptional and affordable art “The art world is notorious for being closed off and elitist, but I want to break up with that prejudice. I want to make sure that art is accessible for everyone, so you don’t have to eat porridge for a year in order to hang something special on your wall,” explains Anne Riber, owner of Format Artspace. By Mette Hindkjær Madsen | Photos: Format Artspace
Riber used to live in New York, where she was fascinated by small, down-to-earth galleries in Brooklyn that welcome everyone. When she returned to Denmark, this concept was nowhere to be found. “I thought it was such a shame that there was no place for all art lovers to find art pieces in their price range,” says Riber. So, almost five years ago, she opened Format Artspace – her own gallery where she collaborates with both emerging artists such as Cecilie Enevold Nielsen, now opening her first solo show, and established profiles such as Ida Kvetny who is exhibiting later in September. Every six weeks, a new artist is on display at the charming two-storey gallery in 50 | Issue 104 | September 2017
Copenhagen, and the types of art presented are as varied as the people who craft it. But they have the concept of Format Artspace in common: there are always pieces made especially for this gallery, costing between 500 and 5,000 DKK. “Each piece has a background story that I’m very excited to share, so when guests
visit I make sure they get the full experience,” ends Riber. Web: www.formatartspace.dk