Danish Art 1930-50

05 Jun - 03 Oct 1999

The exhibition especially throws light on the interplay between a Danish tradition of visual arts and impulses from international art. It reveals some of the background for the development of Danish artists who each with her/his original contribution towards the expressionist and concrete art became part of an international environment. Most of these artists were born around 1910 and include among others Freddie Mortensen, Bille, Bjerke-Petersen, Jorn, E. Jacobsen, R. Jacobsen, C.H. Pedersen, Alfelt, Heerup, Ferlov and Thommesen.

Most of them sought abroad and gained contact with avant-garde currents like Bauhaus, constructivism and surrealism. Photos show the works of the foreign artists that one knows Danish artists could view at exhibitions. They included among others Kandinsky, Miro, Munch, Picasso, Ernst and Dali, but also the contact with Icelandic artists has significance. African art from Kiersmeier Collection at the National Museum was one of the sources of inspiration, as well as children's art and that of the mentally handicapped. The visits to museums also lead to greater focus on Danish Middel Ages and the Viking Age. One section aims at incoporating the now more or less forgotten artists who belonged to "the Abstracts" but who might deserve renewed viewing, e.g. Hans Ølgaard, Knus Nielsen, Kujahn Blask and Eugene de Sala. Parallel with the new trends other Danish traditions which flavourished were Landscape Painting and Social Realism. The main generation in the exhibition was among others Danish traditions. Therefore Weie, Lundstrøm, Ipsen, Søndergaard, Frederiksen among others will be represented at the exhibition. Last but not least a number of periodicals published by artists will be on display, the forum for discussion of artistic questions during the period. The exhibition, organized by Per Hovdenakk, is accompanied by a book on the theme, published in Danish and in English.