2021

Platform Exhibitors

25 Danish and international artist-run projects exhibited in Godsbanen’s Rå Hal:

3:e Våningen (SE), AllArtNow (SY/SE), Candyland (SE), Catalyst Arts (UK), Celsius Projects (SE), Detroit Stockholm (SE) ETAJ (RO), Flux Facory (US), Galleri Rostrum (SE), Galleri TESE (DK), Gängeviertel (DE), Kunsten at Tjene (DK), M100 (DK), Ormston House (IE), OXER (DK), Pist Protta (DK), QWERTY (DK), ruimteCAESUUR (NL), Salon 75 (DK), Small Projects (NO), Spanien 19C (DK), Studio 44 (SE), Syzygy (NL), Til Vægs (DK), Vestlandsutstillingen (NO)

Off-Site Exhibitors

6 local artist-run spaces hosted satellite exhibitions across Aarhus:
KH7artspace & KH7smallspace, Cantina, se!, Enter Artspace, Pakhus 64, Huggeormen

Foyer Exhibition

In the central foyer of Juxtapose Art Fair’s main venue, Godsbanen, there was an exhibition that put a spotlight on the dual role of artists working in the artist-run sector. The artists in this exhibition all run independent institutions while maintaining their own artistic practices.

Exhibitors: Andreas Ribbung, Alice Máselníková, Kaspars Lielgalvis, Mathias Roth, Kim Dotty Hachmann, Penka Mincheva, Signe Vad, Nanna Gro Henningsen, Michelle Appelros, Rob Knijn, Johan Gustavsson, Marius Lut, Maja Klaassens, Caimin Walsh, Chris Boland

This exhibition was curated by Jet Pascua, and was organized in collaboration with Artist-Run Network Europe (ARNE). Each exhibitor was a member of ARNE.

Performances

3 simultaneous performances by Kunsten at Tjene in the restaurant Spiselauget
Performances: Den Åndende Tjener (The Spiritual Servant), Den Kunstige Menu (The Artificial Menu), and Din Tjener – Din Kunstner (Your Waiter – Your Artist)
Organizer: Kunsten at Tjene

Reading and video screening by Center for Militant Futorologi
Organizer: Til Vægs

Tea Ceremony by Marianne Skaarup Jakobsen & Aysha Amin
Curator: Dalin Waldo
Organizer: Til Vægs

Banga performance by Yahya Chouchen
Organizer: Til Vægs

Cannibals and Prisoners: making pigment from brazilwood
Performance by Sigrid Holmwood
Organizer: Celsius Projects

No. 5 – Off The Wall Series, ongoing performances
Organizer: 3:e Våningen

Warm Little Pond
Organizer: Salon75

Public Talks

New Other Odd - Debat om det levende billedes mulighedsrum
Panel: Mark Tholander, Theodor Præst Nymark Jensen, Mathieu J. H. Hansen, Julie Nymann
Organizer: Cantina

Presentation of Offspace.dk, a map of self-organized exhibition spaces in Denmark
Organizer: Foreningen Offspace

Bikubenfondens Kunstsalon VISION: Networking - the Artist-Run Currency
Panel: Åsa Sonjasdotter (SE), Louise Lassen Iversen (DK), Gideon Smilansky (IL/DE), Andreas Ribbung (SE)
Moderator: Louise Steiwer (DK)

Screening and Debate: THE HEALING
Film: HELBREDELSEN, by Hannah Elbke and Natalia Ciepiel, 2021
Panel: Aysha Amin, Annette Skov, Morten Nielsen, Mette Nisgaard Larsen
Organizer: Til Vægs

How Can We Establish the Artist-Run Sector in Aarhus Further?
Panel: Kim Grønborg (DK), Thomas U. Hostrup (DK), Jesper Rasmussen (DK), Grete Aagaard (DK), Signe Vad
Moderator: Nanna Gro Henningsen

Guided Tours

Benjamin Krog Møller led two public tours to local artist-run spaces participating in the Off-Site exhibition program.

Think Tanks

Exhibitors, collaborating partners, and local artists came together in 11 small discussion groups, called “Think Tanks”, to explore different aspects of the artist-run sector.
The Think Tanks were developed with, and co-hosted by, Supermarket Art Fair.

Topics / Moderators:

Collaboration vs. Cooperation: How can we work together in the artist-run sector, and with partners outside the sector?
Moderator: Pontus Raud (Supermarket Art Fair)

Proud to be Different: How can the artist-run sector be valued on its own terms?
Moderator: Niamh Brown (Ormston House)

Therapy Sessions: How can we learn from failure?
Moderator: Pontus Raud (Supermarket Art Fair)

A Matter of Time: How can we appreciate the temporality of artist-run initiatives, in contrast to other art institutions?
Moderator: Matthias Roth (>top – Association for the Promotion of Cultural Practice)

Breaking the Bank: How can we pursue financial sustainability in the artist-run sector? Part 1 - Pursuing large grants
Moderator: Alice Máselníková (Supermarket Art Fair)

Breaking the Bank: How can we pursue financial sustainability in the artist-run sector? Part 2 - Thinking beyond grants
Moderator: Andreas Ribbung (Supermarket Art Fair)

Scaling Up or Selling Out?: Is “professionalization” desirable in the artist-run sector
Moderator: Lina Rukevičiūtė (The Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association)

Identity Crisis: How are the roles of artist and curator blurred in the artist-run sector, and how can we make sense of and navigate this dual role?
Moderator: Line Sandvad Mengers (Aarhus Billedkunstcenter)

Rebels at Heart: What is the role of activism in the artist-run sector?
Moderator: Signe Vad (the Syndicate of Creatures)

Is Anybody Out There?: How can we attract and engage audiences while staying committed to our organizations’ specific missions?
Moderator: Niamh Brown (Ormston House)

Balancing Act: How can we balance our own artistic practices with the curatorial and administrative work of running an artist-run space?
Moderator: Line Sandvad Mengers (Aarhus Billedkunstcenter)

Nordic Visiting Curators Program

This program aims to increase knowledge about the artist-run sector among wider artistic circles - one Nordic country at a time. In 2021 we focused on Finland. We researched the Finnish art scene with support from Kunsthalle Seinäjoki, who also participated in the program.

Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, several curators in this program participated online, meeting Juxtapose exhibitors in the weeks after the fair.

Participants: Sanna Karimaki-Nuutinen, Elham Rahmati, Vidha Saumya, Aura Seikkula, Marianne Savallampi
Online participants: Pii Antilla, Orlan Ohtonen, Selina Väliheikki, Elina Suoyrjö

Talking Change - Toward a Sustainable Art World

Together with Artist-Run Network Europe, we hosted a conference exploring the different ways in which artist-run initiatives strive for sustainability amidst a rapidly changing world.

Keynote speaker: Åsa Sonjasdotter (SE)
Panel: Rikke Luther (DK), Anna Ganslandt (SE), Scott William Raby (US), Andreas Führer (DK), Jet Pascua (PH/SE) and Anna Walther (DK).
Moderator: Nanna Gro Henningsen (DK)

Talking Change was organized by Signe Vad (DK) and Nanna Gro Henningsen (DK) from the Syndicate of Creatures.

Collaborating Partners

Artist-Run Network Europe, Supermarket Art Fair, Kunsthalle Seinäjoki, Aarhus Billedkunstcenter, Bikubenfondens VISIONS Salon

Funders

Aarhus Kommune - Kulturudviklingspuljen, Nordisk Kulturfond, Den Jyske Kunstfond, BKF’s Udvalg til Fordeling af Kulturelle Midler, Statens Kunstfond - Kuratoriske researchrejser, Bikubenfondens VISIONS Salon, Kulturfonden for Danmark og Finland, Fondet for Dansk-Svensk Samarbejde, Creative Europe

Sponsors

Godsbanen, Spiselauget,, Billedkunstnernes Forbund, BAUHAUS, Aarhus Nanobryg