Nervetråde at Den Frie, Copenhagen: The Grotesque from 1900 to Contemporary Art
The exhibition Nervetråde (Nerve Fibers) at Den Frie in Copenhagen explores the grotesque as a means of interacting with reality. This showcase connects the heightened sensitivity of literature from around 1900, coinciding with Den Frie's establishment, to the frayed nerves evident in modern art. Featuring creations by both Danish and international artists, the works evoke feelings of discomfort and strangeness. Through distortion, displacement, and contrast, the grotesque transforms the familiar into the uncanny. Influenced by Danish authors who deviated from realism at the century's turn, the exhibition highlights contemporary artists who redefine reality with grotesque elements, merging the comic with the terrifying and the rational with the absurd. Nervetråde aims to unsettle rather than comfort, provoking unpredictable reactions. For more information, visit denfrie.dk.
Key facts
- Nervetråde (Nerve Fibers) is on view at Den Frie in Copenhagen.
- The exhibition focuses on the grotesque as a way of engaging with the world.
- It connects the nervous sensibility of literature around 1900, when Den Frie was founded, to contemporary art.
- Works by Danish and international artists are included.
- The grotesque is expressed through distortion, displacement and contrast.
- Inspiration comes from Danish writers at the turn of the twentieth century who broke with realist modes.
- The exhibition presents contemporary artists who reshape reality through grotesque impulses and ambivalent effects.
- Nervetråde aims to set nerves on edge rather than soothe them.
- A press release is available at denfrie.dk.
Entities
Institutions
- Den Frie
Locations
- Copenhagen
- Denmark