Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Visit Denmark
Exploring photography beyond the hashtag Copenhagen Photo Festival, Scandinavia’s largest photo event, is celebrating its tenyear anniversary with a new festival centre at Refshaleøen and exhibitions all over Copenhagen. The festival takes place from 6 to 16 June 2019. Ten years ago, Copenhagen Photo festival was founded with the ambition of creating one of the five most important photo festivals in Europe. This summer, as the festival presents nearly 60 exhibitions throughout Copenhagen and southern Sweden, it looks well on its way to achieving that aim. Festival director Maja Dyrehauge Gregersen explains: “There are a lot of very talented Danish photographers, but the ambition of the founders of the festival was not just to create more awareness about them, but also to bring more international photography to Denmark.” Thanks to smartphones and social media, the interest for photography, both as fine art and as documentary photography, has grown rapidly since the festival’s foundation. With the three pillars of Framing Society, Framing Vision and Framing Iden-
tity, the festival aims to bridge the many new perceptions of the media. “We all have some kind of relationship to photography,” says Gregersen. “That’s why it’s important to us that we present it in a way that’s relatable to everyone. But we also want to challenge the audience’s way of looking at the world. It’s a medium we all use, but it’s also a medium that is used politically and has a massive impact on social media.”
By Signe Hansen
At the festival centre at Refshaleøen, Copenhagen’s new vibrant urban space, visitors will find eight exhibitions with worldclass photographers and emerging talents. There will also be a number of free and outdoor exhibitions all over Copenhagen, including exhibitions at Broens Gadekøkken, Højbro Plads, and outside BLOX.
The festival has its own container hall. Photo from the festival in 2017. Photo: Skipper Photography
Copenhagen Photo Festival 6-16 June, 2019 Mary Frey: from the series Domestic Rituals. One of this year’s main exhibitions at the festival centre.
For a full programme, see the website: www.copenhagenphotofestival.com
A social culture house The social aspect is a cornerstone for culture house Klaverfabrikken, where over 300 volunteers help to give it a family vibe. By Nicolai Lisberg | Photos: Simon Zarling and Mathis Emil Jønsson
Sewing, dancing, sculpture work, children’s theatre, music, visual art, concerts and so much more – Klaverfabrikken is a multicultural house full of offerings for everyone, but what really makes it stand out is the special feeling you get when visiting. “The people who come, they come because it’s an enjoyable place to be. It’s as simple as that. If they didn’t like it here, they would just sit at home and sew, but they love the other people, the atmosphere and that friendly feeling we have,” says Jens Trolle-Busck Jepsen, general manager at Klaverfabrikken. The culture house was founded in 1996, and today over 300 volunteers help manage it. The youngest is 15 years old and the oldest one is 91. “We have a sort of family vibe here, where everyone wants 94 | Issue 125 | June 2019
to maintain and pass on that vibe to new volunteers. And because it is such a warm and welcoming place to be, my feeling is that people are more open-minded when it comes to trying other cultural things,” says Jepsen. Most of the classes have an extra social value, as Klaverfabrikken visits various
places in the local community and performs for children in kindergartens and the elderly in nursing homes. “The cultural offerings, the social value and the special togetherness are the three things that matter the most to us. Our community is an inclusive one, and there is always room for more people,” Jepsen assures.
Web: www.klaverfabrikken.dk Facebook: Klaverfabrikken Instagram: @Klaverfabrikken YouTube: Klaverfabrikken