"21"

The Spring Exhibition 2008
12 April – 1 June 2008

Charlottenborg Fonden is an institution in Danish cultural life that since 1857
has sought to promote the interests of Danish artists within the visual arts,
architecture, art craft and design. For anyone interested in art, the Spring Exhibition is, without a doubt, its best-known activity. The majority of important
Danish artists has taken part in the 150-year history of the Spring Exhibition, so
it is a tradition that has obligations. At a time when the world of art is becoming
increasingly expansive and complex, we have chosen to re-think the Spring
Exhibition and decided to give it a new, updated feel.

In cooperation with Kunsthal Charlottenborg (formerly Charlottenborg
Udstillingbygning) Charlottenborg Fonden will in future experiment with the
form of the Spring Exhibition. So future Spring Exhibitions will not resemble
each other any more. We intend to experiment with various exhibition interiors
and jury constellations, which will give each individual exhibition its own distinctive identity. In 2008, the curator for the exhibition will be Karim Rashid, one of
the world’s leading designers right now. Karim Rashid, who was born in Egypt
but since 1993 has lived and worked in New York, has been invited to lead
the work of the jury (in cooperation with representatives from Charlottenborg
Fonden and Kunsthal Charlottenborg). Karim Rashid will also give the exhibition
a special form, which is sure to make the exhibition especially worth seeing.

The exhibition has been given the overall title “21”, in the hope that it will put
its finger on the pulse of the new 21st century within all the art forms linked to
the work of Charlottenborg Fonden: the visual arts, architecture, art craft and
design. This is completely in keeping with developments within the field of art
in general, where hierarchies between the art forms are loosening up, being
placed side by side and entering into dialogue with each other. For a long time,
Karim Rashid has been working in the border area between art, architecture,
design, fashion and interior design as an expression of a complete lifestyle, as
evidenced in his book Design Your Self. That is why we have chosen him to
give the new Spring Exhibition a special profile.

So we would like to encourage artists of all ages within all forms of expression to apply for the Spring Exhibition 2008 and help create a dynamic exhibition together with Karim Rashid.

See you next spring in Copenhagen!

Charlottenborg Fonden Kunsthal Charlottenborg
Chairman Peter Holst Henckel Director Bo Nilsson