At Copenhagen Contemporary and Gammel Holtegaard
Two major solo exhibitions of works by the Danish artist Ebbe Stub Wittrup will be opening at Copenhagen Contemporary in Copenhagen and Gammel Holtegaard north of Copenhagen. Between them, these two exhibitions offer a unique opportunity to experience the comprehensive range of Stub Wittrup’s practice from his well-known photographical works at Gammel Holtegaard to new installations created specifically for Copenhagen Contemporary.
January 23–May 17, 2020
Botanical Drift at Copenhagen Contemporary
The exhibition Botanical Drift presents four installations by the Danish artist Ebbe Stub Wittrup, recalling Indian colonial history. With the exhibition, Stub Wittrup traces the Danish botanist Nathanial Wallich, who was posted to the Danish colony Serampore in India in 1807.
Botanical Drift tells of a time when Western nations considered it fully justifiable to subjugate and colonialise the rest of the world. In a mutual dialogue, the works disclose various narratives about, for example, overwriting national traditions, plant species finding their way from India to botanical gardens in England, and arch-English brands now owned by Indian enterprises.
Botanical Drift is supported by Statens Kunstfond, 15. Juni Fonden, Beckett Fonden, Kvadrat, Nordic Artbank and Randers Handsker.
January 24–April 13, 2020
Photographs at Gammel Holtegaard
Danish artist Ebbe Stub Wittrup takes over Gammel Holtegaard with the largest exhibition of his photographic works to date. Stub Wittrup’s works focus on phenomena that cannot actually be photographed, questioning what we think we see and reminding us that there is more to life than we can register, understand and explain.
In the exhibition Photographs at Gammel Holtegaard, Ebbe Stub Wittrup investigates the relationship between photography, illusion and reality against the historical backdrop of the manor’s galleries. The artist’s powerful, conceptual works evoke the spirit of the space and the baroque’s penchant for dramatical staging, sensuousness, and conjuring tricks.
Photographs is supported by Statens Kunstfond, Beckett-Fonden, Etatsraad Georg Bestle & Hustrus Mindelegat, Politiken-Fonden, Grosserer L.F. Foghts Fond and DJFotografernes Ophavsretsfond.
About Ebbe Stub Wittrup
Ebbe Stub Wittrup (b.1973) lives and works in Copenhagen. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague in 1999. He works with different media, but is particularly known for his photographic works. Solo exhibitions include Kunstverein Braunschweig, Germany, Kunsthalle São Paulo, Brazil, Kirchner Museum, Switzerland, Overgaden Institute of Contemporary Art and ARoS, both Denmark. From 2013–2019, Wittrup was associate professor at the Jutland Art Academy.
About Copenhagen Contemporary
Copenhagen Contemporary is Copenhagen’s international art center showing installation art created by world stars and new emerging talents. Copenhagen Contemporary occupies the magnificent former B&W welding hall offering a total of 7,000 m2 of beautiful industrial halls with plenty of space to show the technical and large formats in which many contemporary artists work: total installations, performance art, and monumental video works. Art that can often be entered and sensed with the whole body.
About Gammel Holtegaard
Gammel Holtegaard is a gallery curating major contemporary and classical art exhibitions. The gallery is located in Lauritz de Thurah’s beautiful Baroque manor from 1756, and the historical surroundings of the manor house and grounds resonate throughout every exhibition and activity that takes place here. At Gammel Holtegaard art is brought to life through careful staging and sensory experiences—just as it was during the Baroque era. This DNA makes Gammel Holtegaard a unique platform for updating history and bringing perspective to the present.
