The Danish Culture Canon ( da, Kulturkanonen) consists of 108 works of cultural excellence in eight categories:

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts al ...

, design and crafts,

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...

, and children's culture. An initiative of

Brian Mikkelsen Brian Arthur Mikkelsen (born 31 January 1966) is CEO of The Danish Chamber of Commerce. He is former Minister and former member of the Conservative People's Party, and was in The Danish Parliament (Folketinget) from 21 September 1994 to 21 June ...

in 2004, it was developed by a series of committees under the auspices of the

Danish Ministry of Culture The Minister for Culture of Denmark ( da, Kulturminister) is the Danish political minister office responsible for culture, head of the Ministry of Culture of Denmark. The political responsibility for culture, as well as church and education, was ...

in 2006–2007 as "a collection and presentation of the greatest, most important works of Denmark's cultural heritage." Each category contains 12 works although music contains 12 works of score music and 12 of popular music and the literature section's 12th item is an anthology of 24 works.

Architecture

The committee for architecture was asked to choose 12 works covering both buildings and landscaping. It was decided that works could either be in Denmark designed by one or more Danes or abroad designed by Danish architects. The committee consisted of:

Lone Wiggers Lone Wiggers (born 1963, in Helsingør Helsingør ( , ; sv, Helsingör), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a city in eastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 62,686 on 1 January 2018. Helsingør and Helsi ...

(chair), Carsten Juel-Christiansen,

Malene Hauxner Malene Hauxner (18 September 1942 – 18 January 2012) was a Danish landscape architect, author, educator and professor of Theory, Method and History at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (KVL). Biography Hauxner was born in Frederik ...

, Lars Juel Thiis and Kent Martinussen.

Visual arts

The committee for visual arts decided that only works of artists who had completed their oeuvre could be included. They also decided that members of the committee could each select a work they especially appreciated. In this way the committee first selected seven works whereafter five members selected one work each. The committee consisted of

Hein Heinsen Hein Olaf Heinsen (born July 23, 1935 in Grindsted, Denmark) is a Danish artist who has contributed to the Lutheran art Lutheran art consists of all religious art produced for Lutherans and the Lutheran churches. This includes sculpture, painti ...

(chair),

Hans Edvard Nørregård-Nielsen Hans Edvard Nørregård-Nielsen (2 January 1945 – 2 April 2023) was a Danish art historian. Nørregård-Nielsen was born in . He was an alumnus of Ribe Katedralskole and wrote several memoirs. In 2001, he was awarded the De Gyldne Laurbær priz ...

Bente Scavenius Bente Christina Brønnum Scavenius (born 12 December 1944, in Stockholm) is a Danish art historian, art critic and author. She has taught at the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University, and has written more than 20 books. She has also bee ...

Bjørn Nørgaard Bjørn Nørgaard (born 21 May 1947 in Copenhagen) is a Danish artist who has been active in a variety of fields. He has significantly influenced the art scene in Denmark both through his "happenings" and his sculptures in Danish cities. Althou ...

and Sophia Kalkau.

Design and crafts

The committee for design and crafts decided that selection should be based on works with a useful function which were relevant at the time they were created while remaining recognizable today. They should also fall into an international perspective. The committee consisted of

Merete Ahnfeldt-Mollerup Merete Ahnfeldt-Mollerup (born 1963) is a Danish architect, university professor and writer about architecture. Associate professor of Kunstakademiets Arkitektskole The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture (Danish: ''Det Ko ...

(chair), Erik Magnussen, Astrid Krogh,

Ursula Munch-Petersen Ursula Munch-Petersen (born 29 December 1937) is a Danish ceramist. Biography Born in Rønne on the island of Bornholm, Ursula Munch-Petersen is the daughter of Gustaf and Lisbeth Munch-Petersen, both of whom were also ceramists and potters. She a ...

and Louise Campbell.

Film

In their selection, the committee for film focused on films reflecting Danish life with Danish actors. The included nevertheless the film ''Sult'' (''Hunger'') which takes place in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

and has Swedish actors. The committee consisted of

Susanne Bier Susanne Bier (; born 15 April 1960) is a Danish filmmaker. She is best known for her feature films '' Brothers'' (2004), '' After the Wedding'' (2006), ''In a Better World'' (2010), and '' Bird Box'' (2018), and the TV miniseries ''The Night Man ...

(chair), Vinca Wiedemann, Tivi Magnusson, Ole Michelsen and Jacob Neiiendam.

Literature

The committee for literature found it important to select works with a quality which had been appreciated over time. The selected works were also considered to have made an important contribution both to Danish literature and to Danish culture in the widest sense. They reflect an original and bold artistic approach to works of value. They are worthy of being preserved for posterity as they serve as reference points in a modern global context. The committee consisted of Finn Hauberg Mortensen (chair), Erik A. Nielsen, Mette Winge, Claes Kastholm Hansen and Jens Christian Grøndahl. The 12th item is an Anthology of lyrics consisting of the following 24 works:

Music

The committee for music explained that, taking account of the wide range of Danish music, they gave focus to individual works rather than a composer's oeuvre. They presented two lists: one for what they called score music (classical), the other for popular music, although the two should be considered as a whole. The committee consisted of Per Erik Veng (chair), Jørgen I. Jensen, Torben Bille, Inger Sørensen and Henrik Marstal.

Classical music

The 12th item titled Højskolesange (

Folk High School Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;' ...

Songs) consists of the following 12 songs:

Popular music

The 12th item Evergreens is an anthology consisting of the following works:

Performing arts

The committee for performing arts explained that their selection was based on works of unique creativity representing something new for their time while still remaining meaningful today. The committee consisted of

Flemming Enevold Flemming is a surname and a male given name referring, like the more common ''Fleming (disambiguation), Fleming'', to an inhabitant (or descendant thereof) of Flanders,

(chair), Karen-Maria Bille, Jokum Rohde,

Sonja Richter Sonja Richter (born 4 January 1974) is a Danish actress. She is best known for her performance in the 2002 film ''Open Hearts'' by Susanne Bier, for which she was nominated for both the Bodil Award and the Robert Award. In a career which has so ...

and Erik Aschengreen.

Children's canon

The committee was formed spontaneously as work proceeded in the other areas. It is therefore not an independent selection as suggestions were received from all the other areas.

Impact

According to press reports, the canon has had limited impact and has been ineffective in its stated goal of fostering integration between the Danes and the immigrant communities. ''Berlingske'' pointed out, nevertheless, that the canon will remain a milestone as a non-socialist government had dared to "simply state that some works are better than others" and assert in that "this country may well be a modern society in a globalised world but that does not mean we have no merit as a nation or no right to national pride." Erik A. Nielsen, a member of the canon's literature committee, is not surprised the literature canon has had such limited effect, faced as it is with a "tsunami of international, strongly commercial cultural interests." He points out that the only reason his students take an interest in Danish culture is that "they have to take exams in it. If they are free to choose culture themselves, they go for films, rock music and a whole lot more that is essentially English or American in origin.Annegerd Lerche Kristiansen and Morten Runge, "Hvad blev der af kulturkanonen?"
Danmarks Radio, 16 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.

References

External links

"Kulturkanon", PDF Copy of the Website from 2006
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Kulturkanonen
(English) PDF. {{DEFAULTSORT:Culture Canon, Danish 2004 establishments in Denmark