Many turned up to celebrate the artists' own exhibition spaces on Friday 13 October at the BKF award ceremony Artist-run Exhibitions of the Year 2017 in Carlsberg Akademi in Copenhagen.
"It has been difficult to choose and we wish we could award far more, because the quality, number and activity is overwhelming," said BKF's chairman Nis Rømer, before he unveiled this year's winners:
Ringsted Gallery, Vermilion Sands and rum46.
"There are no conditions attached to the money, other than that it is for future activity. We hope you will continue to give us fantastic art experiences in the future.”
'A place that takes in the international and points out into the world'
Vermilion Sands, read the jury's motivation here…
'It is political, it has an edge and it has taken up many of the most important questions of our time'
rum46, read the jury's motivation here...
'Passion, persistence and high level'
Ringsted Gallery, read the jury's motivation here...
Price and honors
The winning places are each awarded NOK 25.000. The money comes from BKF's share of Copydan's collective funds. In addition to money and honours, the winners each receive a statuette, made by sculptor Anders Bonnesen: 'Artist Run Space'.
A house with history
The villa, where BKF's award party for artist-run exhibition venues took place, exudes exuberance, said Nis Rømer in his welcome speech, which he gave from the podium in the house's beautiful winter garden, the Pompeji Hall.
"The brewer knew how important art is - both for the individual and for society. In the dining room you can see a frieze by Betel Thorvaldsen and Niels Bohr lived here for 31 years and called the terrace out front 'a hiding place for thoughts'. He looked beyond the many rare coniferous and deciduous trees that JC Jacobsen brought home from his travels in Europe. He has been walking around with his pipe right here where we are standing, in what was once a greenhouse full of rare plants," said Nis Rømer.
"We think it's a suitable place to celebrate artistic activity and some of the most avant-garde, experimental and social we have on the art scene. The artist-run art scene is in itself a incubator, where a lot of new things emerge and are cultivated into works, and where what later gains international recognition can be seen for the first time.”
“It is a field that is volatile and constantly changing. Where artists work idealistically to, together with their colleagues, create art for everyone. And where you as an audience get some of the best experiences and discover artists you will follow for many years to come.”
Read about the background to the award, criteria and the 2017 jury here...
BKF's chairman Nis Rømer presented the awards at a festive gathering on 13 October 2017 in Carlsberg Akademi's Pompejisal in Copenhagen. Thanks to the Carlsberg Foundation for making the house available for the awards party. Photos: Katrine Møbius.
