From Marina Abramović, Louise Bourgeois and Shara Hughes to Mariko Mori, Sarah Sze, and Eduardo Terrazas. From video works and drawings to monumental paintings and striking installations. A large-scale presentation of new works, acquired by and donated to Louisiana over the past five years.
From 2016 and up to now, Louisiana has been able to add almost 200 new works to the museum collection. This has been possible thanks to extremely generous support from not least the Augustinus Foundation and the New Carlsberg Foundation as well as the Museumfonden and the Louisiana Foundation. Such support is crucial when it comes to nurturing and advancing the collection and enabling the Louisiana to safeguard its position as a contemporary museum of international renown.
The large sculpture, Plasma Stone I (above), by the Japanese artist Mariko Mori is on show until 14 August. South African artist William Kentridge’s video and theatre installation, Black Box / Chambre Noire, (below) is shown until 28 August. The rest of the exhibition closes on 4 September.
The theater of William Kentridge
The video (and theater) installation from 2005 depicts an event that is arguably one of the first genocides of the twentieth century. In 1904, in South West Africa (today’s Namibia) German colonial forces brutally suppressed a rebellion of local tribes. Kentridge examines this historical event partly through the Freudian concept of Trauerarbeit (work of mourning), a work that never ends, interwoven with the artist’s invariable, self-reflexive study of process and meaning.
The film is shown once an hour starting 11.30. Last screening is at 20.30 during weekdays and 16.30 on weekends/holidays.
Collecting principles
Louisiana collects according to several principles. This may involve the acquisition of additional works by artists who are already represented and important to the museum. There may be obvious shortcomings in the historical period that the collection covers – that is, from 1945 onwards. And finally, there is contemporary art, a field in constant motion, both in terms of interesting artists and forms of expression.
Ultimately, however, Louisiana collects for the benefit of both new and loyal guests, making this presentation of a large number of fantastic new works a very joyous occasion indeed. The presentation will take over most of the South Wing and cover several of the museum’s other spaces in the North Wing and Hall Gallery.
Among the new acquisitions are works by artists such as Marina Abramović, Louise Bourgeois, Jean-Marc Bustamante, Carlos Cruz-Diez, William Kentridge, Shara Hughes, Sam Gilliam, Sarah Lucas and Andy Warhol.
