In the Presence of Beauty

From Copenhagen to the Danish West Indies

7 October 2010 - 23 January 2011

 

Immense fortunes, sugar plantations, slave trade, exquisite art, war, national bankruptcy, and journeys to exotic regions. This exhibition marks the reopening of Øregaard Museum after extensive renovations to restore this beautiful classified country estate from 1806 to its simple neo-classicist splendour. The opening exhibition tells the story about the time, the art and the culture that the Øregaard Estate was a part of and brings to life the people who lived here.

 

Portrait of a tumultuous era

The exhibition presents the story of the man who commissioned the construction of Øregaard, the wealthy leading merchant and plantation owner Johannes Søbøtker, and his family as part of the larger narrative about one of the most colourful chapters in Danish history: the transition from the palmy days of Danish overseas trade to the hardship of the so-called "Golden Age". In this story from the edge of chaos we take a journey from Copenhagen in the Golden Age to the Zealand countryside and all the way to the faraway islands of the Danish West Indies. Important Danish artists such as Jens Juel and C.W. Eckersberg will be richly represented.

 

Linking past and present

The exhibition also addresses the reluctance to openly discuss Denmark's role in the colonial era and the international slave trade. No look at history is ever innocent; it is influenced by the issues that are meaningful in the current debate. Therefore, we have invited the young Danish artist Søren Lose to link present and past in the exhibition. In recent years, Søren Lose has explored topics such as time, memory and place. On a journey to the Danish West Indies he will be creating new works especially for this exhibition.