He is famous throughout the world for his large-format abstract art. Experience Kunsten’s first exhibition of works by one of the biggest names in Danish art history.
Per Kirkeby (1938-2018) is one of the most important artists in the history of Danish art. His work has had a crucial impact on abstract art way beyond the borders of Denmark.
The exhibition features a huge selection of Per Kirkeby’s works from the Louisiana Collection, which contains one of the largest collections of Kirkeby’s art – ranging from early works to works from the very last years.
Discover Per Kirkeby’s overwhelming works against a background of Alvar Aalto’s architecture: from bronze sculptures that investigate shape and space to large-format paintings. With his idiosyncratic colour palette and abstract idiom, Kirkeby created sensuous universes, the surfaces of which were inspired by landscape and nature.
A geology graduate, he went on to study art at Eks-skolen in Copenhagen. From 1978 to 2000 he was a professor at the art schools of Karlsruhe and Frankfurt am Main.
He is one of the greatest Danish contemporary artists. His works have been exhibited at some of the major institutions in the world: Tate Modern, Kunsthalle zu Kiel, Guggenheim Bilbao, Museum Ludwig, IVAM and Van Abbemuseum.
His oeuvre includes an abundance of paintings, sculptures, films, and graphic and literary works that often reflect the artist’s interest in natural history and architecture.
A number of the works have been loaned from the collection of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition is the result of several years of collaboration between Kunsten and Louisiana. Since 2020, the two museums have been exploring the potential of national museum communities on the basis of collection exchanges and joint projects. The aim is to create a broader platform for experiences of art in Denmark.
