SKOVVEJ .- I grew up not far away from here, at Brøndby Strand. We lived in a small detached house facing Køge Bay where the sudden construction of high-rise blocks of flats on the horizon changed my life for better or for worse – and my view of what is possible in the adult world. I decided to dedicate my life to something pointing in precisely the opposite direction of grey concrete.

What the Exhibition Shows
This exhibition is about the art that was to be found – and not found – south of Copenhagen in the 1970s. And what helped develop the artistic awareness that has been with me since childhood. So the exhibition starts with some memories from my childhood and youth that inspired me – or the opposite.

The exhibition has lots of my own works from when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and onwards. Some of them have never been exhibited in Denmark before, and are being brought in from international collections. The exhibition – literally – flows into my new series of paintings Havet (‘The Sea’).

Inspiration Exists
An underlying theme in the exhibition is an investigation of the concept of inspiration. I can only speak for myself, but I know inspiration exists for me. I’ve always felt the phenomenon very strongly, as a transformative state.

Inspiration is a rush I can’t ignore or stop, because it disturbs the state of things. A force – my signal that something is developing into something I couldn’t foresee, and where I play a crucial role in its coming into being.

For me an artwork is nothing without inspiration – and nothing without the viewer. It is in the mind of the viewer that my work becomes complete.

--Martin Bigum

Martin Bigum (b. 1966) lives and works in Copenhagen. He is most famous for his paintings, but has also made graphics, photography, installations, video art and poetry.

Bigum has had endless solo and group exhibitions in Denmark and abroad, and his works are represented in numerous Danish museum collections, including ARKEN, ARoS and the National Gallery of Denmark.

Many in Denmark also know Martin Bigum as an excellent communicator regarding his own works and the wider history of art, including his regular participation in the national TV programme Kunstquiz. Over the years he has written numerous essays for the Danish quality newspaper Weekendavisen, and in 2014 he published the book Min personlige kunsthistorie (‘My Personal History of Art’), which has sold over 10,000 copies. He is also a highly popular public speaker.

The exhibition is on view at ARKEN until 15 January 2017.