A Poetic, Confrontational Exhibition Featuring World-renowned Photo and Video Art: PLACES TO DREAM

The curator of the exhibition explains how the artists investigate themes such as belonging, gender, body and social constructs, providing us with an opportunity to ‘dream with them’ and reconsider our own position and place in the world.

PLACES TO DREAM opens on 7 May 2025.

On 7 May 2025, Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg opens a new temporary exhibition dedicated to a range of captivating, poetic, humorous and confrontational works by leading photo and video artists such as Ana Mendieta, Francisca Woodman, Birgit Jürgenssen and Cindy Sherman.

What all these artists have in common is their diverse use of photography or video as an expression.

– “Several of the works document a number of actions that have taken place. Often, the artists’ own personal and bodily experiences form the basis for the works featured in the exhibition,” explains Caroline Nymark Zachariassen, Chief Curator at Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg.

– “This is evident in a performative work by the Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta: in Untitled (Facial Hair Transplant) (1972) she glues her friend’s beard onto her own face, thereby challenging the common norms and notions of gender and identity. Another example is Francesca Woodman’s poetic, yet unsettling photographs. The artist herself performs in several of her works, physically exploring intimate, sometimes claustrophobic spaces.”

Calls for action, confrontation and transformation
The title of the exhibition, PLACES TO DREAM comes from a quote by one of the exhibition’s artists: the American artist Francesca Woodman (1958-1981). She believed that photography – her favourite medium – provided us with “places for the viewer to dream in.”

– “But the works in the exhibition don’t simply provide a place for dreams. They introduce us to new ways of looking at things, calling for action, confrontation, transformation and reflection. In their works, the artists provide us with an opportunity to dream with them, to draw inspiration, and reconsider our own position and place in the world,” says Caroline Nymark Zachariassen.

With an equal balance of seriousness and humour
Visitors can look forward to experiencing works by Francesca Woodman (1958-1981), Ana Mendieta (1948-1985), Ulay (1943-2020), Pia Arke (1958-2007), Carrie Marie Weems (b. 1953), Birgit Jürgenssen (1949-2003), Cindy Sherman (b. 1954), Kirsten Justesen (b. 1943), Marina Abramovic (b. 1946), Anna Blume (1936-2020) & Bernard Blume (1937-2011), Elina Brotherus (b. 1972) og Nan Goldin (b. 1953).

– “In their works the artists tackle themes such as identity, belonging, gender, body, race, social constructs and power. Through their works, with an equal balance of seriousness and humour, the artists examine many of the positions and perspectives that often dominate and characterise our society and the world around us,” says Caroline Nymark Zachariassen.

A performance work for the opening of the exhibition
The opening on 7 May will include the performance work Hard Play (2024) by the Danish contemporary artist Miriam Kongstad (b. 1991). Based on a number of well-known children’s games, she explores the dynamics, gender identities and social norms that are assigned to us from an early age.

A collaboration with Louisiana
The exhibition is based on works loaned from the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, supplemented by works from Kunsten’s own collection. The exhibition is the result of several years of collaboration between Kunsten and Louisiana. Since 2020, the two museums have been exploring the possibilities for 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.

Read more on kunsten.dk/en/placestodream

Photo: Ana Mendieta, Untitled (Facial Hair Transplants), 1972 (1997). Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk. © 2021 The Estate of Ana Mendieta Collection, LLC. Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co. / VISDA