Bruno Zhu's Dual Danish Exhibition Links Holstebro and Copenhagen
Bruno Zhu's inaugural major solo exhibition in Denmark, named Men at Work, takes place at Huset for Kunst og Design (HFKD) in Holstebro and O—Overgaden in Copenhagen. Zhu, who was born in Portugal in 1991, completed his studies at Central Saint Martins in 2014 and the Sandberg Instituut in 2016. His past exhibitions include M HKA in Antwerp (2025), Chisenhale Gallery in London (2024), and What Pipeline in Detroit (2023). Men at Work showcases unclothed male models, while Women Upstairs features nude female mannequins designed to resemble emergency exit signs, with altered hands that imitate guns. This two-part exhibition critiques institutional policies and Western European art history, linking them to fashion and commerce. It marks Zhu's first solo commission in Denmark.
Key facts
- Bruno Zhu's first large-scale solo presentation in Denmark is a dual exhibition at O—Overgaden in Copenhagen and Huset for Kunst og Design (HFKD) in Holstebro.
- The Copenhagen exhibition is titled Women Upstairs; the Holstebro exhibition is titled Men at Work.
- Zhu was born in 1991 in Portugal and works between Portugal and the Netherlands.
- He graduated from Central Saint Martins, London, in 2014, and from the Sandberg Instituut, Amsterdam, in 2016.
- Previous exhibitions include M HKA, Antwerp (2025); Chisenhale Gallery, London (2024); Veronica, Seattle (2024); What Pipeline, Detroit (2023); and Cordova, Barcelona (2022).
- Since 2016, Zhu has run the exhibition space A Maior in Viseu, Portugal.
- Men at Work features undressed male models mounted on flat stands.
- Women Upstairs presents four female mannequins—a baby, a toddler, a teenager, and an adult—inside four monumental cabinets, each with one hand modified to mimic a gun, within structures resembling life-size green emergency exit signs.
Entities
Artists
- Bruno Zhu
Institutions
- O—Overgaden
- Huset for Kunst og Design (HFKD)
- Central Saint Martins
- Sandberg Instituut
- M HKA
- Chisenhale Gallery
- Veronica
- What Pipeline
- Cordova
- A Maior
Locations
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Holstebro
- Portugal
- Netherlands
- London
- Amsterdam
- Antwerp
- Seattle
- Detroit
- Barcelona
- Viseu