Afgangsudstillingen 2026: Det der lyser i moradset

Afgangsudstillinger kan virke en smule utilgængelige. En samling af vidt forskellige materialer, medier og kunstneriske praksisser, ofte ledsaget af tunge kunsthistoriske referencer og teoretiske lag.

Dette års afgangsudstilling på Charlottenborg er ingen undtagelse: 27 værker, der alle ønsker beskuerens opmærksomhed og muligheden for at stå i sin egen ret.

Når jeg går igennem dette års afgangsudstilling forsøger jeg derfor ikke at tegne et samlet billede af den kommende generation af kunstnere. Jeg leder efter værker, som i det morads af materialer, teknikker, teorier, historier og referencer, som en afgangsudstilling nu engang er, alligevel formår at lyse klart i deres eget univers.

Nogle værker tiltrækker sig naturligt opmærksomhed alene på grund af deres skala og tilstedeværelse i rum. Femja Haacks tekstilpaneler, Victor Vejles monumentale objekt, Sidsel Marie Lindbæks mobile og Yi Ten Lais installation fylder Charlottenborgs rum på måder, man ikke kan ignorere.

Men de værker, som blev hos mig efter besøget, var nogle andre.

Tre kunstnere der lyser

Marielle Göthberg
Anande, 2025
Foto: Charlottenborg Kunsthal

Marielle Göthbergs store landskabsmalerier vibrerer på en måde, der gør det umuligt at trække øjnene til sig.

Oliemalingen er så tyk, at den bliver skulpturel i sit udtryk, og jeg får lyst til at røre ved overfladen, bare for at sikre mig, at det faktisk er en overflade og ikke et rum, jeg kan træde ind i. For gud, hvor jeg har lyst til at træde ind i det rum. Stille, mørkt, smukt.

Göthbergs værker træder frem, fordi de peger tilbage uden at gentage. Landskabet, vinduet og den impressionistiske måde at indfange lys og skygge på er alt sammen set før. Men jeg har ikke set værker som disse før, og de får mig til at længes efter en pagt med naturen og mørket, som jeg ikke vidste, jeg savnede.

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Sidsel Winther,
Lift Like No One’s Watching, 2026
Myth Is Everything, 2026

Med Lift like no one is watching lykkes Sidsel Winther på fineste vis med at inkorporere kunsthistoriske og teoretiske referencer på en måde, der faktisk kan aflæses i selve værket.

Med keramiske afstøbninger af de støtter, som normalt holder kendte klassiske skulpturer som Venus og Dionysos oppe, fremhæves deres essentielle, men ofte underbelyste rolle. Værket inviterer til læsninger af både kunsthistoriens glemte kvinder, samt nutidens diskussioner om mental load og usynligt arbejde.

Samtidig er de løvrevne støtter interessante at kigge på, fordi de netop er fritaget fra deres opgave som støtter og står i deres egen smukke magt. Ikke længere i hård hvid marmor, men forbundet til den jord og ler, vi alle skal passe bedre på i fremtiden.

Jeg elsker det.

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Isaac Nissen
The Tale of Saint Apple, 2026

Jeg har en særlig kærlighed til Isaac Nissen og hans på én gang let akavede og humoristiske tilgang til at formidle ellers ret tunge og alvorlige emner.

Jeg er bestemt ikke neutral her, for jeg har fulgt Nissens arbejde siden 2016, hvor han udstillede nogle af sine helt tidlige værker i det galleri, jeg drev dengang. Og Isaac Nissen forundrer og facinerer mig stadig

Når jeg ser Nissens videoværker, bliver jeg ofte i tvivl om grænsen mellem virkelighed og fantasi, fordi jeg lader mig forføre af hans mimik, tilstedeværelse og flirtende pauser. Men så får historien et tvist, der tilføjes en absurditet, og jeg tvinges tilbage til en virkelighed, jeg helst ville være foruden.

Det er effektivt, og det er sjovt… og en smule manipulerende.

Begyndelsen på et kunstnerskab

For mig er afgangsudstillingen et sted, hvor man kan øve sig i at se. Se, hvad der fanger ens opmærksomhed. Hvilke materialer, fortællinger og stemninger man vender tilbage til.

Samtidig er det et godt sted til at blive introduceret til nye kunstnere, hvis virke man vil holde øje med i fremtiden. Ikke for at investere i et værk nu og her, men for at følge med og se, hvordan potentialet udvikler sig.

Det er ofte dér, et meningsfuldt kunstkøb starter.

Besøger du afgangsudstillingen, er det min anbefaling, at du stopper op og giver værkerne tid. Ikke dem alle sammen, men dem, som umiddelbart trækker i din opmærksomhed. Skriv navnet ned. Måske bliver det begyndelsen på et kunstnerskab, du kommer til at følge i mange år.

God fornøjelse.

Afgang 2026, MFA Degree Show, 29. maj – 9. august 2026

Building a home through art. How artworks shape belonging, memory and place

Moving to a new area, city or country often means building a home from scratch. Even when the practical framework is in place, a home is not only defined by furniture or function, but by the atmosphere, memories and relationships that grow within it.

Art plays a unique role in this process. It is not only something to decorate a space, but something that can shape how a place feels, how it is remembered, and how it is lived in over time.

Art as belonging

Art has the ability to connect us to both ourselves and our surroundings. It can hold emotions, memories and perspectives that gradually become part of a place. When you live in a new environment, artworks can act as anchors. I do not mean in a static sense, but as points of recognition. They shape how a space is experienced and how it begins to feel like home.

This is not about collecting for status or decoration, but about creating a relationship with your new surroundings. It is about knowing the artist who made the work and connecting to their story. It is about feeling a sense of belonging.

Art can be a way to connect with a new place and country

I occasionally write about art, belonging and the relationship between people and place. Join the newsletter for artist introductions, reflections and invitations to private viewings.

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Choosing art for a temporary home

A significant part of my work relates to international professionals living in Denmark on temporary assignments, often shaping homes during periods of transition between countries and contexts. In these situations, choosing art becomes slightly different. It is not only about long-term ownership, but about how a space can reflect a particular moment in life.

The artworks you live with during this time often become tied to memory. A place, a period, and a version of life that is later remembered from a distance.

Buying art directly from artists

One of the most meaningful ways to engage with art in this context is to acquire works directly from artists. This creates a different kind of relationship, that is not mediated through a gallery system, but through direct connection with the artistic practice itself. It allows for a more immediate understanding of context, intention and process.

For many collectors and individuals, this also opens up access to works that feel more personal and less defined by market positioning or trends.

Living with art over time

Art does not remain static in how it is experienced. As you move through different places and stages of life, the meaning of an artwork can shift with you. Works acquired in one context may later become reminders of a place, a community, or a specific chapter of life. In this way, art becomes part of a personal history that extends beyond geography.

Buying art is often described as a form of acquisition. But in practice, it is closer to building relationships between people, places and moments in time.

When approached in this way, art becomes not only something you live with, but something that stays with you.

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Which artists I work with, and why it matters

An introduction to how I work with artists outside traditional gallery systems, and why a broader curatorial approach matters for collectors, workplaces and institutions.

I work as an independent art advisor connecting artists, private clients and organizations. My practice is not based on representing artists or maintaining a fixed portfolio. Instead, it is rooted in a curatorial approach that prioritises context and dialogue, with the aim of strengthening relationships between artists, ideas, spaces and people.

This also shapes the way I engage with artists. It is not about fitting into predefined systems, but about understanding how artistic practices can exist in relation to different spaces, people and ways of working.

Beyond traditional representation

Many artists work outside traditional gallery representation. This is not necessarily a limitation, but often a reflection of how their practice develops, who they collaborate with, or how they choose to engage with the art world.

Working outside these systems allows for a broader curatorial field. It opens up possibilities to engage with artists based on the quality and relevance of their practice, rather than their position within a commercial structure. This is why I often choose to work with independent artists. It allows me to introduce clients to emerging and established artists through a more open curatorial lens, without gatekeeping or financial obligations.

This is also where my role as an art advisor and consultant becomes central: connecting artistic practices with contexts where they can be experienced, understood and lived with in meaningful ways.

Want to discover artists beyond the gallery system?

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A broader field of artistic practice

The artists I work with operate across a wide range of media and formats. This includes painting, sculpture and murals, as well as site-specific projects. What connects these practices is not a shared style or trend, but an attention to context, materiality, and the relationship between artwork and space.

In this sense, choosing art is never only about aesthetics. It is about understanding how different forms of artistic expression relate to the environments they enter.

How I select artists and artworks

My approach is not guided by trends or market visibility, but by dialogue, research, and a close understanding of each artistic practice. If you are looking for investment advice, I am not your art advisor. I work with both emerging and established artists, often across different parts of the art ecosystem. An artwork may become a financial investment, but that is not the reason to acquire it.

When I recommend a specific artist, it is always with attention to how their work can resonate in specific contexts, whether in a private home, a workplace or an institutional setting. It is about how the work connects to the people who live or work in that space.

For those searching for guidance on how to choose art or how to find art for their home or organisation, this approach offers a more context-based alternative to trend-driven selection.

Why this matters

• For private collectors and individuals, this approach creates access to artworks that are not selected for status, but for resonance.

• For workplaces, it allows art to become part of identity, atmosphere and everyday experience, supporting how people feel, work and relate to their environment.

• For institutions, it enables the development of art projects that engage audiences through reflection, dialogue and participation.

Across all contexts, the underlying principle is the same: art is not an object to acquire, but a relationship to enter into.

My work with artists is therefore not separate from my work with clients. It is part of the same curatorial practice: creating meaningful connections between artistic practice and lived environments.

Art is about feeling connected to yourself, your community, and the world at large.

Meet the artists I work with

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