The Role of Art in a Time of Crisis – danish.global.culture.talks

What does art provide for society in a time of crisis, and how do we make sure that art does not disappear from the public realm, when health issues and the economy are top of the agenda? Whose responsibility is it to make sure that art plays a key role in society as part of the public debate, as shared experiences and as a source of individual contemplation and reflection? The artists, art museums, galleries or someone else?
 

Short presentation at SUPERFLEX Studio before the talk.

Participants: Gitte Ørskou (Director, Moderna Museet, Stockholm), Bjørnstjerne Christiansen, artist, Superflex, and Anders Byriel (CEO, Kvadrat).

Host: Lasse Andersson.

Co-hosted by: Moderna Museet.

The participants

Gitte Ørskou (b. 1971) is the director of Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden. Gitte is the former director at Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg, Denmark, and chief curator at ARoS, Denmark. She has curated several exhibitions on international contemporary art and has, among others, served as the Chairman for the National Danish Arts Foundations.

Bjørnstjerne Christiansen is a part of the artist group SUPERFLEX. SUPERFLEX was founded in 1993 by Jakob Fenger, Bjørnstjerne Christiansen and Rasmus Nielsen. With a diverse and complex practice, SUPERFLEX challenge the role of the artist in contemporary society and explores the nature of globalisation and systems of power. SUPERFLEX describe their artworks as tools – thereby suggesting multiple areas of application and use.

Anders Byriel has since 1998 been CEO of Kvadrat A/S. Kvadrat fabrics have been used in some of the world’s most important architectural landmarks, such as Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg; Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris; Museo Jumex, Mexico City; 30 St Mary Axe, London; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, Oslo; Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao; Harbin Opera House, China and The Louvre, Abu Dhabi.