Den Frie Udstilling ('The Free Exhibition') is a Danish artists' association, founded in 1891 by artists in protest against the admission requirements for the Kunsthal Charlottenborg. Modeled on the

Salon des Refusés The Salon des Refusés, French for "exhibition of rejects" (), is generally known as an exhibition of works rejected by the jury of the official Paris Salon, but the term is most famously used to refer to the Salon des Refusés of 1863. Today, b ...

, it is

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

's oldest association of artists. Now located on

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...

's Oslo Plads next to Østerport Station, it works as an arts centre, continuing to exhibit works created and selected by contemporary artists rather than those chosen by cultural authorities.

History

The organization was initiated by the painter Johan Rohde (1856–1935) and included several founding members:

Jens Ferdinand Willumsen Jens Ferdinand Willumsen (7 September 1863 – 4 April 1958) was a Danish painter, sculptor, graphic artist, architect and photographer. He became associated with the movements of Symbolism and Expressionism. Biography J. F. Willumsen was born ...

, Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen,

Vilhelm Hammershøi Vilhelm Hammershøi (), often anglicised as Vilhelm Hammershoi (15 May 186413 February 1916), was a Danish painter. He is known for his poetic, subdued portraits and interiors.Souren Melikian,Hammershoi's decade of brilliance, before banality set ...

Johanne Cathrine Krebs Johanne Cathrine Krebs (21 April 1848 - 1 April 1924) was a Danish painter and women's rights activist. She was known for her portrait painting. She was active in establishing the women's department of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Bio ...

, the couple Harald and

Agnes Slott-Møller Agnes Slott-Møller, née Rambusch (10 June 1862, in Nyboder – 11 June 1937, in Løgismose, Assens Municipality), was a Danish Symbolist painter; influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites. She is known for works inspired by Danish history and folklore. ...

, Christian Mourier-Petersen and Malthe Engelsted. The first exhibition in 1891 presented 100 works by 18 artists, including Peder Severin Krøyer, Julius Paulsen and

Kristian Zahrtmann Peder Henrik Kristian Zahrtmann, known as Kristian Zahrtmann, (31 March 1843 – 22 June 1917) was a Danish painter. He was a part of the Danish artistic generation in the late 19th century, along with Peder Severin Krøyer and Theodor Esbern Phi ...

, who were among Denmark's greatest painters of the period."Om Den Frie"
, Den Frie Udstilling. Retrieved 30 January 2013. The first exhibition was hosted by

Kleis' Kunsthandel Kleis' Kunsthandel was a commercial art gallery, frame shop and gilder's business in Copenhagen, Denmark. It developed into one of the leading art dealers in the city under the management of Vakdemar Kleis, its owner from 1878 until 1918. It was ba ...

, a combined art gallery and gilder's business situated at Vesterbrogade 58 in Vesterbro. It opened on 27 March 1891. Den Frie's udstillingsbygning på Rådhuspladsen

Den Frie's udstillingsbygning på Rådhuspladsen

In 1893,

Thorvald Bindesbøll Thorvald Bindesbøll (21 July 1846 – 27 August 1908) was a Danish National romantic architect, sculptor and ornamental artist. He designed the Dragon Fountain, Copenhagen (''Dragespringvandet'') and is perhaps best known as the creator of t ...

designed a wooden pavilion for the association on a plot near City Hall Square in the very centre of

. That year, international painters such as

Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fr ...

and

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

exhibited works there. In 1898, Den Frie Udstilling moved to Aborreparken where a new pavilion inspired by Egyptian and Greek temples was designed by Willumsen who added an octagonal extension in 1905. As today, the facade was decorated with a relief of

Pegasus Pegasus ( grc-gre, Πήγασος, Pḗgasos; la, Pegasus, Pegasos) is one of the best known creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine stallion usually depicted as pure white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as hor ...

, a symbol of freely inspired art drawn from Greek mythology. In 1913, the building was moved to its present location on Oslo Plads, maintaining sections of Willumsen's work. In 1915, disagreements among its members led to the establishment of Grønningen but Den Frie Udstilling has nevertheless maintained its central place in Danish art. Since 1950, exhibitors have included such famous names as

Ole Schwalbe Ole Albert Christian Schwalbe (23 July 1929 – 15 October 1990) was a Danish painter. He was one of the painters in the Linien artists association who in 1956 initiated the second generation of Danish Constructivism which they called concrete re ...

, Richard Mortensen, Ejler Bille and Wilhelm Freddie, Willy Ørskov, Hein Heinsen and Bjørn Nørgaard. Den Frie Udstillingsbygning by Julius Aagaard

Den Frie Udstillingsbygning by Julius Aagaard

In 1987, Den Frie Udstilling became a

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

. Although comprehensive restoration work was completed in 2006, further improvements reflecting Williumsen's original designs will be completed in 2014. There will also be significant extensions.

Current exhibitions

Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art - Copenhagen - DSC07300

Den Frie Udstilling continues to exhibit contemporary art selected by the artists who are members of the association. As a result, the building hosts exhibitions of experimental art and related activities. The association's goal is to act as a platform for artistic divergence, reducing the gap between tradition and innovation. While a focus on artists' collectives and experimental groups is maintained, there are also exhibitions devoted to promising new artists or those who have made an important contribution to the history of art. The Artists Autumn Exhibition () has been held at Den Frie since 1915. It is an open exhibition, allowing anyone to submit works to be judged by a committee consisting of earlier exhibitors.

Gallery

Peter Hansen - Fra pladsen San Giovanni i Rom - 1899.png , ''Fra pladsen San Giovanni i Rom''
Peter Hansen Laurits Andersen Ring - Sædemand. Frederiksværk - 1901.png, ''Sædemand. Frederiksværk''
Laurits Andersen Ring Viggo Pedersen - Solnedgang over Havet. Haga. Kullen - 1916.png, ''Solnedgang over Havet. Haga''
Viggo Pedersen

References

Bibliography

*Bente Lange (2011): ''Den Frie – Kunstnernes Hus'', Copenhagen, Den Frie Udstillingsbygning. .

Other Sources

Den Frie Udstillingsbygning
FKD

External links

Official site

Den Frie Udstillingsbygning
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frie Udstilling, den Danish artist groups and collectives 1891 establishments in Denmark Organizations established in 1891 Arts centres in Denmark Art museums and galleries in Copenhagen Art exhibitions in Denmark Listed buildings and structures in Copenhagen Listed buildings and structures in Østerbro Relocated buildings and structures in Denmark