From Brande to the Whole World

A conference on the potential of art and the options for artists in the Central Denmark Region inspired us to launch an art project with the aim of establishing networks between local and international artists.

In order to reach beyond the regional framework we developed the concept ”Dialogue Tables” – meaningful talks in an international context.

We wanted to use the table as a metaphor for conversation – and art as a starting point for an expanded practise of debate. Five other artists from Denmark’s Central Region were each assigned to invite a foreign artist with a different background and artistic practise. In pairs the artists were to work out a dialogue-based starting point for a self-chosen theme that ultimately had to result in a concrete work of art and a joint exhibition.

The Danish artists chose their foreign collaborators in places as varied as Osaka, Sarajevo and Hamburg.

The seven artist-couples have been working with a number of contemporary themes like death, linguistic contexts, war, environment plus injustice, identity and homelessness.

It’s our hope that the artists with their platforms for dialogue can open new cracks to a reality where new creative experiences arise between the individual artists as well as between the works and the spectators.

Karen Degett and Steen Rasmussen