7400 Herning
Denmark
Socle du Monde was established in 2002 and is as such the oldest Danish biennale of contemporary art. Organized by HEART - Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, the title is an homage to Piero Manzoni’s seminal sculpture by the same name, “Socle du Monde” – a central work in HEART’s collection which has its home at HEART Museum.
Socle du Monde presents a wide range of works. Paintings, installation art, sculptures and performances – from colourless paintings, shit in a can and live chickens to art exchanges and a dancing light robot.
The biennale celebrates Piero Manzoni by turning its gaze partly towards the past, partly to the future as it presents a carefully chosen selection of exciting artists. It also presents a wide range of works that have never before been shown in Scandinavia.
HEART emerged between art and business and is driven by the spirit of the impassioned shirt manufacturer Aage Damgaard (1917-1991), who created the foundation for the museum collection, now totalling around 2000 works. Herning Art Museum was founded in 1977. In September 2009, the museum opened under a new name, HEART Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, and in a new building designed by the American iconic architect Steven Holl.