COPENHAGEN.- CHART, the leading Nordic event for contemporary art, unveils the full programme for its 2021 edition which will take place at Kunsthal Charlottenborg from 26 - 29 August 2021. This year’s fair will include 26 galleries, 11 artist-run and alternative exhibition spaces, one Book Fair, and a host of talks, installations, performances, and concerts.
“Following a year like no other, we look forward to bringing together exhibitors, professionals, and art enthusiasts in Copenhagen once again for a celebration of the Nordic art scene. Our programme this year makes a special effort to bring together the arts community – a need that is more urgent than ever in the industry. This is the moment to forge new alliances and find new sustainable ways to strengthen and develop the art scene,” says director of CHART, Nanna Hjortenberg.
Highlights from CHART Art Fair 2021
The 2021 fair will include presentations by 26 leading Nordic contemporary art galleries, as well as 11 artist-run and alternative gallery spaces as part of this year’s new Experimental section. Showcasing work by both emerging and internationally established artists, and spanning the realms of photography, painting, video, sculpture, performance and more, the fair will present works by more than 100 artists in the historic halls of Kunsthal Charlottenborg.
Highlights of this year’s fair include: a presentation of painting and sculptural works by artists Ida Ekblad, Paul McCarthy, Franz West, and Roni Horn inspired by Constantin Brâncuși's iconic Vue d'Atelier (1927) presented by Peder Lund (NO) and an exhibition of new watercolours by Olafur Eliasson for i8 Gallery (IS). Andersen’s (DK) will dedicate their presentation to works by performance artists Esben Weile Kjær, Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen, Christian Falsnaes and Nicholas Grafia, exploring the crossover between performance, sculpture, and interaction.
An immersive installation of curtains and chairs by Lap-See Lam will be on view at Galerie Nordenhake (SE), whilst Cecilia Hillström Gallery (SE) will showcase an immersive video installation by AnnaKarin Rasmusson. Further artwork highlights include a 6-metre-high hanging sculpture by Bella Rune and a series of large-scale sculptures by Sandra Mujinga.
Discover CHART’s New Book Fair
CHART will introduce its inaugural Book Fair, showcasing the work of 27 leading independent specialist art publishers presenting the best of the art book scene and printed matter community in the Nordic region. The Aftermath of a Garden Party, a special project by artist Loji Höskuldsson in collaboration with the Danish design brand HAY for CHART, will create the setting for an extensive programme of talks, book signings and debates during the run of the Book Fair.
A Curated Series of Talks Exploring the Future of the Art World
CHART will present a series of talks which will dissect and discuss the future of a reconnected art world post-pandemic. Talk participants from the international art scene include Tessa Praun (Magasin lll), Janne Sirén (Buffalo AKG Art Museum), and curator Fatoş Üstek. World-renowned architects Shohei Shigematsu (OMA) and Bjarke Ingels (BIG) will discuss building museums for the future, in a talk moderated by editor-in-chief Robert Thiemann (Frame Magazine).
In addition, a series of live, in-person artist talks will introduce a deeper understanding of the artistic practice of some of the leading artists working across the Nordic art scene. Highlights include: a discussion on painting between Mamma Andersson and Tal R, and talks by artists Janaina Tschäpe, Vibeke Tandberg, Bella Rune, Lap-See Lam, and Andreas Eriksson.
A Series of Performances, Music & Installations
Artworks by artists Esben Weile Kjær, Mille Kalsmose and Hannah Toticki will be installed in the courtyards at Kunsthal Charlottenborg. The courtyard will also feature a social stage designed by Swedish designer Fredrik Paulsen which will host a series of talks, performances and music over the weekend, including Two Fools and a Pole, a new performance developed for CHART 2021 by artist duo Hesselholdt & Mejlvang. The stage will also play host to Midnight Confessions with Friends: The CHART Sessions, a series of intimate acoustic concerts by some of Copenhagen's leading musicians led by Josephine Philip & Hannah Schneider, and the first concert in Denmark by Jockum Nördstrøm Band.
Pavilions Designed by Young Architecture Talents
Under the theme Social Architecture five finalist teams of young architects, designers and artists will present temporary pavilions in the courtyards of Charlottenborg. After a year of limited social interaction, the designs explore new and innovative ways of sharing social experiences. The finalists were chosen by an international jury consisting of Bjarke Ingels, founder and partner at BIG; Shohei Shigematsu, partner at OMA; artist, Nina Beier; designer, Sabine Marcelis; Simon Lamunière, Director of OPEN HOUSE in Geneva; and David Zahle, partner at BIG.
The pavilions will host a selection of Copenhagen’s gastronomic entrepreneurs such as the innovative craft distillery, Copenhagen Distillery; the Danish social-oriented brewing company, People Like Us; the urban farm, Øens Have; the organic winery, Vinhanen; Head Chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant Geranium Will King-Smith; and Copenhagen’s first oyster bar, Rouge Oysters.
Strong Museum Partnerships
To further strengthen relations to art institutions and museums following CHART’s curated online programme in June, which connected international curators directly to Nordic galleries and artists, CHART has developed a series of collaborations with local museums such as SMK - National Gallery of Denmark, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, and Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art. For this year’s edition of the fair, CHART’s international museum partner is the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in New York. The partnership aims to build and strengthen relations between the Nordics and North America. On the opening day of the fair, a separate talk and press conference will further unveil the ambitious new curatorial initiative envisioned by the Buffalo AKG.
