The Art Building in Vrå, April – May 2016
Artists:
Valérie Collart, Ditte Knus Tønnesen, Amalie Jakobsen, Astrid Myntekær, Christine Overvad Hansen, Nanna Riis Andersen,
Johanne Skovbo Lasgaard, Dan Stockholm.
Coordinator:
Henrik Godsk
Henrik Godsk is a Danish curator and artist. He holds an MA from Aalborg University in Literature and Art. His academic interests cover literary and cultural theory, and the borderland between literature, art history, and philosophy. Henrik Godsk began curating exhibitions and projects in 2010 when he was in the Curatorial Board of the Danish contemporary art festival Port 2010. The festival included international artists such as Tomás Saraceno. In 2011, he curated an exhibition in collaboration with Kunsten – Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, Denmark, which presented Danish artists from different generations. As the Exhibition Curator at the Utzon Center in Aalborg, Denmark, and the Artistic Director of The Art Building in Vrå in Hjørring, he has continued focusing on contemporary art and generational meetings.
We are very happy to be a part of the 2015-17 edition of the JCE Biennale. It is the first time that Denmark is represented. In fact, it is the first time that a Scandinavian country is represented. The exhibition will be shown at The Art Building in Vrå – The Engelund Collection.
Vrå is a small village in the North of Denmark close to Hjørring. The Art Building has a strong tradition and was one of the first places in the region to show modern art. It all began in the early 1940s when the painter Svend Engelund exhibited works at the folk high school that is situated next to The Art Building.
Before long, he invited other artists to exhibit as well, and soon after, The Vrå Exhibition, an association of artists, was established. The Vrå Exhibition always takes place in August. In 2015, it will be the 73rd edition, and new works by 46 of some of the most recognized artists and architects in Denmark will be presented.
The Art Building in Vrå – The Engelund Collection has the largest collection of works by renowned painter Svend Engelund. Svend Engelund is known for his landscapes and figure paintings, but he is also known as an artist who helped pave the way for new talents, inviting them to participate in exhibitions.
In the spirit of Engelund, we present two exhibitions every year where young talents are shown together with very established artists. In this respect, we were very happy to be taken into consideration for the JCE Biennale, which focuses on new talents.
We have selected eight artists to represent Denmark.
It is difficult to say anything general about the selected artists except that they all integrate different mediums into their praxes. Johanne Skovbo Lasgaard focuses on materiality, creating works that lie somewhere between sculpture and painting.
Valérie Collart is a photographer and sculptor who explores the relation between image and object.
Dan Stockholm draws on many artistic strategies and mediums. In the exhibition, he is represented with a sculpture that looks like a mix between a diagram and an architectural structure. Ditte Knus Tønnesen works in a field between image and spatial construction, often mixing photography and objects.
Nanna Riis Andersen works with sculpture and installation as well as two-dimensional mediums such as drawings and paper works. In the exhibition, she shows sculptures made of leather and latex. Astrid Myntekær’s work often focuses on the esoteric and mystical. In the exhibition, she shows a sculptural piece that consists of two glass bowls with dark, mud-like fluids that move. Christine Overvad’s works are often a mix between sculptural pieces and mechanical devices. And, finally, but not least, Amalie Jakobsen works in a field between sculpture and installation, installing minimalist elements that relate to the context. We are looking forward to presenting eight of the most talented young Danish artists to the rest of Europe.
Henrik Godsk