LOUISIANA2012

Andreas Gursky is to photography what Gerhard Richter is to painting. Both artists create their pictures by pushing the medium to its utmost limit. In Gursky’s case this means that he uses the full complement of photographic resources, manipulating the subjects – taken from all over the world and often with the focus on extreme and exotic locations – in the computer, thus composing reality but without losing recognizability. Gursky is a kind of creative realist; he shows us how rich the world is, and this can best be done with the fantastic image. Sports events, landscapes from the remotest places on the planet, dizzying urban architecture, rave concerts and other kinds of mass culture are transformed into overwhelming photographic images in enormous formats. Gursky’s pictures are represented in the most impor-tant museums in the world and – fêted as he is – his works fetch record prices at the art sales.

Andreas Gursky. 99 Cents, 1999. C-Print. 207 x 325 x 6,2 cm. VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy Sprüth Magers Berlin London.

ANdreAS GUrSky

13. jANUAry—13. mAy 2012

Ellsworth Kelly. Sunflower, 1957. Aquarell, 52,1 x 62,9 cm. Private collection, © Ellsworth Kelly.

LOUISIANA ON PAPer:eLLSwOrth keLLy

26. jANUAry—13. mAy 2012

Louisiana on Paper is the museum’s series of small exhibitions dedicated to works on paper – drawings, prints or other forms of expression that make use of the often more intimate paper format. The exhibitions have been conceived on the one hand as spaces for reflection where you can often get closer to the creative process than in the large-scale pictures, and on the other as counterweights to the museum’s large, comprehensive exhibitions. Finally, with its paper series the Louisiana can show a number of artists whom it would not be possible to show in their full glory – but who can be shown in more concentrated form. In 2012 the Louisiana on Paper series includes a presentation of the American artist Ellsworth Kelly’s drawings of plants over more than half a century – ethereally beautiful Matisse-inspired works by one of America’s best loved artists. The exhibition travels on to the Metropolitan Museum in New York after its time at the Louisiana.

You don’t have to be a feminist to notice that the history of art is male-dominated and that many equally good women artists have had a hard time making an impact. The Louisiana’s exhibition – mounted in collaboration with the museum Kunst-sammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf – tells the story of eight extremely striking female artists who were driving forces in the avant-garde movements – Dada, Constructivism and Surrealism – that typified Europe in the inter-war years. Some of them – Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Sonia Delaunay, for example – we know from among other places the Louisiana’s collection, but the exhibition also offers cult figures like the photographer and writer Claude Cahun and the Polish sculptor Katarzyna Kobro. Women of the avant-garde 1920—1940 is a new, fascinating story of the destinies of artists who deserve more recognition than they were perhaps given while they were alive.

Hannah Höch. Die Braut (Pandora), 1924/27. Oil on canvas, 114 x 66 cm.Berlinische Galerie – Landesmuseum für Moderne Kunst, Fotografie und Architektur.

wOmeN Of the AvANt-GArde 1920–1940

14. febrUAry—28. mAy 2012

It caused quite a stir when the Polish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale opened this year with works by an Israeli artist, Yael Bartana. Not only is the Jewish artist something of a fly in the ointment for a highly nationalistic Poland with a darkly antisemitic past; her works – three films, one of which was already acquired by the Louisiana Museum in the production phase – also speak (fictionally, that is) of the re-emergence of a Zionist party in modern Poland. Bartana deploys all the tricks from the history of political agitation and a classic use of imagery to create a fable about political culture as such. Louisiana Contemporary is the museum’s series of exhibitions dedicated to contemporary art, and in 2012 you will for example be able to see the work of the persecuted Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei – as well as one more exhibition, not yet specified at the time of writing, in the autumn of 2012.

Yael Bartana. Zamach, 2011. Video still.Annet Gelink Gallery.

LOUISIANA CONtemPOrAry:yAeL bArtANA

28. febrUAry—20. mAy 2012

24. mAy—19. AUGUSt 2012

It is unfortunately not a matter of course that Danish or even foreign museums can expand their collections with works by young or classic artists. This takes funding that is available to few museums, and Louisiana too has to raise money every time something catches our eye that we think is important to the museum’s overall artis-tic statement. On the other hand there are many foundations and private individuals who think the museum’s extraordinary collection merits continued expansion, and this year’s almost sensationally rich presentation demonstrates this. There are works in all genres – video, photography, installation, sculpture and painting – from major works by Asger Jorn and Poul Gernes, Roni Horn, Erwin Wurm and Thomas Struth, to a wealth of contemporary art; from Thomas Demand and Tillmans to the youngest artists. Pink Caviar is a rich, diverse exhibition that is both on the ball and allows for the classics of tomorrow.

Allen Ruppersberg. Big Trouble, 2010. Pigment prints on paper, mounted on woodand pigment prints on paper 27 parts, variable dimensions. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

PINk CAvIAr – New wOrkS IN the COLLeCtION 09–11

The Louisiana Museum has become famous for its architecture exhibitions for several reasons. In the first place because they always take a contemporary view of the material – they are about our world now! And secondly because they reject professional narrow-mindedness and cross artistic statements with architectural realities. Thirdly, they make the ultimate use of the location and space of the museum. You are never far from an architecture exhibition at the Louisiana, you are always in the middle if it. The exhibition in 2012 is about a concept or phenome-non that is arousing renewed global interest – the idea of the distinctively Nordic. Nordic stock is high at present, from politics and welfare to cuisine and design, and the year’s exhibition offers a take on what the Nordic actually is – and what such ideas mean for our societal and cultural development.

the NOrdIC –AUtheNtIC ArChIteCtUre

29. jUNe—21. OCtOber 2012

Snøhetta. Oslo Opera House. 2008. Photo: Christopher Hagelund.

Five Car Stud is just one work – the artist is the American Edward Kienholz, and its story is fantastic. The work – a large installation about white racist attacks on black people in a frightening and dramatic Mississippi Burning set-up – aroused a huge sensation at the Documenta exhibition in Kassel in Germany, where it was shown in 1972. It was acquired by a Japanese museum and has been packed away ever since. Now it has been restored, and the Louisiana Museum, which has Kienholz in it collection, has organized an exhibition tour with the work, which is being shown right now at the huge Los Angeles County Museum of Art and will then travel to the Louisiana and on around Europe. is naked Americana, but today the evil it portrays must be seen as frighteningly global. At the same time the work is a natural supplement to the Louisiana’s collection and its many years of commitment to American art, including the recent Jacob Holdt exhibition.

Kienholz. From the installationen of Five Car Stud, 1972. Photo: Renate Heyne / © Documenta Archive.

edwArd kIeNhOLzfIve CAr StUd

6. jUNe—21. OCtOber 2012

Helen Chadwick. Vanity, 1986. Cibachrome print, 50,9 x 51 cm. Courtesy of The Helen Chadwick Estate and David Notarius.

The self-portrait is a classic, well-tried but also intense and sometimes raw genre taking many different expressions all through art history. Louisiana’s big autumn exhibition will be showing both major works from the twentieth century – from van Gogh until the present and in all media – and will tell the story of the transformation of self-representations. Is it the artist’s true expression or identity we encounter in the self-portrait, or is it dream and fantasy, and can you at all paint yourself, see yourself, or is it only others who know who you are? The questions reach out beyond the artist’s own universe into the life of the viewer – and it is of course precisely from this that these pictures draw their fascination. The exhibition comprises over a hundred important works from the twentieth century, from Bonnard, de Chirico, Dalí and Kirchner to Mapplethorpe, Warhol, Basquiat, Krystufek and others.

SeLf-POrtrAItS

14. SePtember 2012—13. jANUAry 2013

Louisiana Concerts mean world-class music. The museum is a sanctuary for inter-national musicians who work with chamber music – an oasis in a pulsating touring life, a place where the inspiration of the moment permits programmes that the musicians are subsequently able to play in few other places in the world. Central events in 2012 include an evening of Lieder with Ian Bostridge accompanied by pianist Julius Drake; another chance to see and hear the pianist Grigory Sokolov and the American Emerson Quartet; weekends with interactive electronic music in the museum’s Sculpture Park, plus concerts of ethnic music – fado, flamenco and klezmer.

Louisiana Concerts. Emerson String Quartet. Photo: Mitch Jenkins.

LOUISIANA CONCertS

In 2008 the Louisiana introduced evening opening hours – Tuesday—Friday until 10 p.m. – as we wanted to expand the museum’s platform without increasing the physical framework. Evening opening has meant that the Louisiana has been revital-ized as the culture house that was intended when it opened more than 50 years ago; a house with life and knowledge and opinions; a house where artists, scientists and debaters could rendezvous with the public, all ‘live’. Synne Rifbjerg, Weekendavisen, and Marie Tetzlaff, Politiken, each host a series of stimulating meetings in the course of the year. It is advisable to sign up for these popular events in advance, but other-wise admission is free and requires only a ticket to the museum.

Louisiana Live. Dress code: Vibskov’s world. An evening with fashion designer, musician a.o. Henrik Vibskov. Host: Synne Rifbjerg.

Photo: Klaus Holsting.

LOUISIANA LIve

Louisiana’s literature festival – Louisiana Literature – made its debut in August 2010 and was a roaring success with over 40 Danish and international authors who capti-vated several thousand people for four days. Most of the museum goes into action – and interaction – when the writers move in with their readings, performances, interviews and discussions. In doing this the Louisiana is not only reviving an old heritage – a strong commitment to the world of literature – in a new age; at the same time the museum wishes to strike a blow for good literature as a necessity. Louisiana Literature has come to stay – as an annual event. In 2012 the festival will take place from August 23—26.

Louisiana Literature 2011. Syrian poet Adonis.Photo: Klaus Holsting.

LOUISIANA LIterAtUre

The Louisiana Club is quite a phenomenon! It has grown constantly over the past ten years and now has 60,000 members, which makes it one of the biggest museum clubs in Europe. With a club card you can come and go at the museum and use the Louisiana in a quite different way from the museum’s other guests. See a little at a time, see it all again – or just take a walk in the park and eat in the restaurant, go to lectures or listen to music. As a club member you have already paid admission with your membership and you also get two catalogues (Louisiana Revy) and two magazines (Louisiana Magasin) a year, as well as discounts and admission to special events.

the LOUISIANA CLUb

Visitors at Louisiana Literature 2011. In the background LIVING exhibition installation by Arne Quinze.

Photo: Klaus Holsting.

The Louisiana is one of the few places in the museum world where the children have their own house – on three floors into the bargain! The Children’s Wing is the setting for a rich variety of activities in the course of the week and at weekends; activities that link up with current exhibitions and works in the collection, and which for many children mean a fruitful and quite natural introduction to the world of art. But the Louisiana’s communicative and educational options are not only for children; they address all groups with instructive and eye-opening activities for young people and adults too. There are free guided tours every week, but also a number of opportuni-ties for more in-depth study, creative gatherings and inspiration – from the Art Days to Picture Workshops for adults.

LOUISIANA ChILdreN’S wING ANd edUCAtION

Alberto Giacometti. Walking Man, 1960. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.Classes in the Giacometti room.

Photo: David Kahr.

At the Louisiana website you can find most of what you need to know about the museum – from opening hours and general information to an overview of current events in the museum calendar. You can read about the museum’s exhibitions (including past and future ones), about works in the collection, new productions from Louisiana Publications. And you keep up with the options and offers from the Louisiana’s rich activity and presentation programme, guided tours and The Children’s Wing. At the site you can also sign up for the newsletter and in general keep abreast of life at and around the Louisiana. Check out the Louisiana’s page on Facebook and YouTube too.

AddressLouisiana Museum of Modern ArtGl. Strandvej 13DK-3050 Humlebæk

Phone +45 4919 0719 Fax +45 4919 3505

Opening hoursTuesday—Friday: 11—22Saturday—Sunday: 11—18Public Holidays: 11—18Monday: closed

PricesAdmission: dkr. 95 Students with student ID: dkr. 85

Groups (min. 15 pers.):Per person: dkr. 90 Students: dkr. 80

Members of the Louisiana Club: free admission Members’ guests: dkr. 75 (maximum 4 guests per visit)

Guests with 25-card : free admissionChildren and young people up to 18: free admission

LOUISIANA.dk

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IN 2012 the LOUISIANA mUSeUm Of mOderN Art IS SUPPOrted A.O. by

Front page: Erwin Wurm, Renault 25/1991, 2009. Sculpture, 135 x 204 x 475 cm. Photo: Alexandra Vogt.

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