News from Berlin

Danish and Nordic Culture in Berlin

February 28th, 2014
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News from Berlin. The aim of the Danish Embassy's Department for Culture, Communication and Public Diplomacy is to promote Danish culture and to establish contacts, networks and platforms for Danish art and culture in Germany. The Danish Embassy in Berlin arranges several cultural events and activities throughout the year to promote Danish film, literature, art, music and theater.

The Danish Embassy's Department for Culture is promoting and facilitating several areas within the creative field in cooperation with the Pan Nordic Building of the Nordic Embassies, which is a common cultural house for all the Nordic embassies where many events take place.

The Danish Embassy is a part of a unique embassy project where all the embassies of the Nordic countries are gathered in one building. The Nordic cooperation in Berlin has been strengthened through this and the German interest in and knowledge about Nordic culture, social conditions, history and politics has been enhanced through conferences about, among other themes, sustainable architecture, education, Nordic literature and family politics. The Pan Nordic Building of the Nordic Embassies provides a platform that gives the Nordic embassies the possibility of cooperating together on developing cultural events and programs.   

In the past year the Danish Embassy arranged several cultural events to promote Danish culture in Germany and to create a platform for cross-cultural exchange between people from the Danish and German cultural and artistic scene. The cultural events hosted by the Danish Embassy represented many aspects of the cultural scene in Berlin such as design, culinary experiences, literature and urban culture. This article takes a closer look at the cultural events and activities that the Danish and Nordic embassies offered in the past year as well as what is on the program for 2014.    

Cultural Events of the Danish and Nordic Embassies in 2013

Design was in focus as a part of the Danish Embassy’s cultural events in 2013. Danish design is recognized in Germany - and particularly in Berlin. Danish design signals quality and innovation, and the aesthetic character appeals to German consumers. The Danish Embassy wished to benefit form this special status and organized, therefore, for the first time a Danish design platform for promotion of Danish design. In November the Danish Embassy arranged an event where Danish designers, famous as well as up coming, were able to exhibit their products for a special German audience.

In 2013-2014 the Danish Embassy also put focus on Danish architecture and urban planning with the exhibition “CREATE WITH AARHUS – Urban Development in a Nordic Metropolis”. The focus of the exhibition was sustainability in urban planning – including, not only green energy, but also social and cultural sustainability.

One of the most popular and visited events arranged by the Danish and Nordic Embassies in 2013 was a family- and culture party. On Sunday the 1st of September 2013 the Danish Embassy together with the other Nordic Embassies hosted the family- and culture party where the guests had the opportunity to experience culture and culinary art from the Scandinavian countries. Nordic music, films and design workshops for children were just some of the many activities taking place during the event.  

2013 was a special year for Danish culture with the 200th birthday of the world known Danish philosopher and writer Søren Kierkegaard. The Danish Embassy made use of this significant event through an elaborate program promoting Danish culture through the works of Kierkegaard. The Danish Embassy celebrated the historical event of Kierkegaard’s 200th birthday through a series of debate evenings related to Kierkegaard’s philosophy as well as music, theatre and art events. A special publication in German to mark the anniversary was launched at a book presentation event where piano music from the 1840s could be enjoyed. These were the years where Kierkegaard often stayed in Berlin. This shows us that an exchange between Danish and German culture has been taken place for centuries and with this event in honor of Kierkegaard this exchange continues until today.

The Pan Nordic Building of the Nordic Embassies as well hosted a range of cultural and artistic events throughout the year of 2013. The Nordic film club and book readings are permanent activities hosted by the Nordic embassies where the participants explore Nordic film and literature. Concerts also take place in the building of the Nordic embassies on a regular basis where for example Nordic musicians perform jazz and classic music. The Pan Nordic Building of the Nordic Embassies also arranged a special summer exhibition about Nordic design followed by seminars where prominent Nordic designers participated and gave speeches.

In 2013 an event about creative industries also took place in the Pan Nordic Building. The event was titled: “Creative North – Nordic and German perspectives on Creative Industries as engines for growth and structural revival”. Due to world-class success stories in areas like games industry, fashion, design and music, the culture based creative industries have become a major contributor to growth and innovation both in Germany and in the Nordic. The event brought together government representatives, scholars and companies from the Nordic countries and Germany to exchange experiences and discuss how to support the culture based creative industries at home and internationally.

Supporting Danish artists living in Berlin

As a part of the Danish and Nordic embassies cultural event program in 2013 a program that aims to support Danish artists living in Berlin has been established in order to promote Danish art in Germany.

Berlin is a metropolis of art and culture worldwide. A large number of Danish artists of all art forms have become aware of the city’s unique opportunities within the art world. Thus the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Danish Culture Agency are cooperating to strengthen the internationalization of Danish art abroad by supporting Danish artists in Berlin through the Danish Embassy in Berlin. For a Danish artist who is living in Berlin or who is considering moving there to make use of the blossoming art scene that Berlin has to offer there might be many new aspects to consider. Not only do the artists in most cases have to deal with a language barrier they also have to face many practical considerations, get a foot inside the art scene in Berlin and look for opportunities to be supported as an artist. That is why the Danish embassy has decided to launch a page on the official website of the Danish Embassy where Danish artists can find answers to the many questions they might have when first moving to Berlin. The embassy also offers more personal counseling for the Danish artists connected to Berlin.   

As a part of the Danish Embassy’s Cultural Department’s initiative to support Danish artists in Berlin, the embassy together with the other Nordic embassies arranged an event in April 2013 titled ”Grosses Treffen – Nordic Artists Meet with Berlin Curators”. The pilot project “Grosses Treffen” gave 56 Nordic artists the opportunity to meet with and present their works to 20 curators from Berlin’s art- and culture scene. This was a unique opportunity for the emerging Nordic artists to present their artistic work to some of Berlin's most prominent people within the art world. The day culminated with a reception where the networking between the artists and curators could be continued in a more informal setting. The artists’ and curators’ enthusiasm for the event has created a demand for similar events in the future.  

As described the Danish and Nordic embassies had a lot of cultural activities to offer in 2013. Now the question is what is on the cultural program of the Pan Nordic Building of the Nordic Embassies in 2014. In 2014 the Nordic embassies continue with several of the popular activities they hosted in 2013, but new and exciting initiatives will also be a part of the cultural program of 2014.   

Cultural events being hosted by the Danish and Nordic Embassies in Berlin this year

In 2014 the support for Nordic artists placed in Berlin continues along with many other interesting cultural activities. In April the Nordic embassies will once again host the successful networking and exhibition event “Großes Treffen” where artists from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands will get the opportunity to showcase their works to key agents of Berlin’s art scene. The event is open to visual artists, performers, sound artists, artists who create public artworks and interventions as well as designers and architects working within the visual arts field.

The Danish Embassy focuses on creating good sustainable cross- border cooperation between Denmark and Germany not only within the political, economical and trade field, but also when it comes to culture. In connection to this the Danish Embassy is promoting the intercultural youth exchange program “Jung Zusammen” (Young Together), which will take place in the summer of 2014. Jung Zusammen is a summer school camp where young people come together in an international environment with the aim of developing intercultural competences and to discuss the possibilities of how to strengthen cross-cultural cooperation between Denmark and Germany.

The Pan Nordic Building of the Nordic Embassies continues in 2014 with their Nordic film club, which takes place twice a month as well as the literature evenings, which include readings from Nordic authors and following discussions.

The Pan Nordic Building of the Nordic Embassies will furthermore host art exhibitions and concerts. From the 15th of January the exhibition “Hunger Nach Bildern” (hungry for paintings) will be exhibit. The exhibition presents paintings by four Finish artists all of them representing a fresh, new and expressive way of painting between abstraction and figuration. From the 27th of Febuary until the 1st of March the Nordic embassies are arranging a music and art festival. The festival is called “NORDLICHTER 2014” and presents Nordic music and art in three different venues: the Pan Nordic Building of the Nordic Embassies, Radialsystem V and the Philharmonie.

The full cultural program of the summer, fall and winter of 2014 by the Nordic embassies is still to be revealed, but so far the program of the first four months of this year offers, as we have seen, a broad range of cultural activities promoting Danish and Nordic culture and art. 

To summarize, the Danish Embassy in Berlin as well as the Pan Nordic Building of the Nordic Embassies have in the past year presented a cultural program with several events covering a broad aspect of the world of culture and art: art exhibitions, book readings, concerts, design shows and cultural family events. Supporting Danish artists living in Berlin is another successful initiative facilitated by the Danish embassy – an initiative, which will be continued in the year of 2014 along with many other cultural activities.  

Nordic art, culture and design are thriving in Berlin. By cooperating thought the Pan Nordic Building the Nordic embassies, here among the Danish, have enhanced the promotion of Danish and Nordic culture as well as intercultural dialogue and cultural exchange across borders. 

Photos © Embassy of Denmark in Berlin

Berlin Global

News from Berlin.

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Dansk Kultur i Berlin

Den Danske Ambassades afdeling for kultur, kommunikation og Public Diplomacy har til formål at fremme og støtte forskellige former for nordisk kulturliv og kunst i samarbejde med de nordiske ambassaders kulturelle ”Fælleshus”. Fælleshuset fungerer som en fælles kulturel platform for alle de nordiske ambassader, hvor kulturelle events finder sted. Formålet med den danske ambassades afdeling for Kultur er endvidere at etablere kontakter, netværk og platforme for dansk kunst og kultur i Tyskland. Den danske ambassade i Berlin arrangerer en række kulturelle arrangementer og aktiviteter året rundt for at fremme dansk film, litteratur, kunst, musik og teater.

Den danske ambassade er en del af et unikt ambassade projekt, hvor alle de nordiske ambassader er samlet i én bygning. Det nordiske samarbejde i Berlin er blevet styrket gennem dette, og den tyske interesse for og viden om nordisk kultur, samfundsforhold, historie og politik er blevet styrket gennem konferencer om blandt andet bæredygtig arkitektur, uddannelse, nordisk litteratur og familie politik. Fælleshuset skaber en fælles platform for de nordiske ambassader, der åbner op for muligheden for et styrket samarbejde i forhold til at udvikle kulturelle arrangementer og programmer.

Gennem det sidste år har Den Danske Ambassade arrangeret flere kulturelle arrangementer for at fremme dansk kultur i Tyskland og for at skabe en platform for tværkulturel udveksling mellem folk fra den danske og tyske kulturelle og kunstneriske scene. De kulturelle begivenheder arrangeret af Den Danske Ambassade repræsenterer en bred vifte af den kulturelle scene i Berlin så som design, kulinariske oplevelser , litteratur og byudvikling.

Den danske og de nordiske ambassaders kulturelle events i 2013

Design var i fokus som en del af Den Danske Ambassades kulturelle arrangementer i 2013. Dansk design er anerkendt i Tyskland - og især i Berlin. Dansk design signaler kvalitet og innovation, og den æstetiske karakter appellerer til de tyske forbrugere. Den Danske Ambassade så muligheder i denne særstatus og organiserede derfor for første gang en dansk design platform for markedsføring af dansk design. I november afholdt Den Danske Ambassade medvidere en begivenhed, hvor danske designere, kendte såvel som nyudklækkede talenter, havde mulighed for at udstille deres produkter for et særligt tysk publikum.
 

I 2013-2014 satte Den Danske Ambassade fokus på dansk arkitektur og byplanlægning med udstillingen "CREATE med Aarhus - byudvikling i en nordisk Metropol". Udstillingen fokuserede på forholdet mellem bæredygtighed og byplanlægning. Fokus var dog ikke udelukkende på grøn energi, men også på social og kulturel bæredygtighed.
 

Søndag den 1. september 2013 afholdt Den Danske Ambassade sammen med de øvrige nordiske ambassader en stor nordisk familie- og kultur fest, hvor gæsterne havde mulighed for at opleve kultur, kunst og kulinariske tryllerier fra de skandinaviske lande. Nordisk musik, film og design workshops for børn var blot nogle af de mange aktiviteter på programmet for den nordiske kulturfest.
 

Den 5. maj 2013 var det den danske filosof Søren Kierkegaards 200 års fødselsdag. Den Danske Ambassade fejrede denne historiske begivenhed med en række debataftener relateret til Kierkegaards filosofi samt koncerter, teaterstykker og kunstudstillinger. En særlig publikation på tysk for at markere årsdagen blev lanceret på en bogpræsentation, hvor klavermusik fra 1840'erne kunne nydes. Det var de år, hvor Kierkegaard ofte opholdt sig i Berlin.
 

De nordiske ambassader Fælleshus afholdt også en række kulturelle og kunstneriske arrangementer i løbet af år 2013. Den nordiske filmklub og bogklub er faste aktiviteter arrangeret af de nordiske ambassader, hvor deltagerne udforsker nordisk film og litteratur ca. hver 14. dag. Forskellige koncerter finder også regelmæssigt sted i ​​de nordiske ambassaders fælleshus, hvor der for eksempel gives koncerter af nordiske jazzmusikere. I det forgangene år afholdt fælleshuset også en speciel sommer udstilling for nordisk design efterfulgt af seminarer, hvor fremtrædende nordiske designere indtog talerstolen.

I 2013 afholdt de nordiske ambassader et arrangement i Fælleshuset omhandlende kreative industrier. Titlen for arrangementet var: "Creative Nord - Nordic and German perspectives on Creative Industries as engines for growth and structural revival". Den store succes og høje kvalitet indenfor områder som spilbranchen, mode, design og musik har medført, at kultur baserede kreative industrier er blevet en vigtig bidragsyder til vækst og innovation i både Tyskland og i Norden. Begivenheden samlede regeringsrepræsentanter, forskere og virksomheder fra de nordiske lande og Tyskland med det formål at udveksle erfaringer og diskutere, hvordan man kan støtte de kultur baserede kreative industrier i ind- og udland.

Støtte til danske kunstnere bosiddende i Berlin

Berlin er en international metropol for kunst og kultur på verdensplan. En lang række danske kunstnere indenfor forskellige kunstneriske discipliner er blevet opmærksomme på byens unikke muligheder indenfor kunstverdenen. Udenrigsministeriet og Kunststyrelsen samarbejder for at styrke internationaliseringen af ​​dansk kunst i udlandet ved blandt andet at støtte danske kunstnere i Berlin gennem Den Danske Ambassade. For en dansk kunstner, der er ny i Berlin, eller som overvejer at flytte dertil for at drage fordel af den blomstrende kunstscene Berlin har at byde på, kan der være mange nye aspekter at skulle tage stilling til. Kunstnerne møder ikke alene ofte en sprogbarriere, de skal også forholde sig til mange praktiske anliggender, forsøge at få en fod indenfor kunstscenen i Berlin og opsøge muligheder for finansiel støtte til kunstner. Den Danske Ambassade har derfor besluttet at lancere en side, som en del af ambassadens officielle hjemmeside, hvor danske kunstnere kan finde svar på de mange spørgsmål, de måtte have i forbindelse med at være ny kunstner i Berlin.

Som en del af Den Danske Ambassades kultur afdelings initiativ til at støtte danske kunstnere i Berlin, afholdt ambassaden sammen med de øvrige nordiske ambassader et arrangement i April 2013 med titlen " Grosses Treffen - nordiske kunstnere møder Berlins kuratorer". Pilotprojektet "Grosses Treffen" gav 56 nordiske kunstnere mulighed for at mødes med og præsentere deres værker for 20 kuratorer fra Berlins kunst- og kulturscene. Dette var en enestående mulighed for unge nordiske kunstnere for at præsentere deres kunstneriske arbejde for nogle af Berlins mest fremtrædende personer inden for kunstverdenen. Dagen kulminerede i en reception, hvor der var mulighed for at udveksle kontakter og ideer kunstnere og kuratorer imellem i mere uformelle omgivelser. De kunstnere og kuratorer der tog del i begivenheden var positivt indstillede overfor initiativet, hvilket har skabt en efterspørgsel efter lignende arrangementer i fremtiden.

Kulturelle begivenheder i år arrangeret af den danske og de nordiske ambassader i Berlin

I 2014 forsætter de nordiske ambassader deres støtte til nordiske kunstnere bosiddende i Berlin gennem forskellige events samtidig med at en række andre interessante kulturelle aktiviteter kommer til at pryde Den Danske Ambassade og fælleshusets kulturprogram. I april gentager de nordiske ambassader succesen fra sidste år og afholder igen begivenheden " Großes Treffen ", hvor kunstnere fra Finland, Sverige, Norge, Danmark, Island, Grønland og Færøerne vil få mulighed for at fremvise deres værker til centrale personer indenfor Berlins kunstscene. Arrangementet er åbent for billedkunstnere, performere, lydkunstnere, kunstnere der skaber offentlige kunstværker og kunstneriske interventioner samt designere og arkitekter, der arbejder med billedkunst.

Den Danske Ambassade sætter i år blandt andet fokus på at skabe et godt og bæredygtigt samarbejde på tværs af grænsen mellem Danmark og Tyskland, ikke kun inden for det politiske, økonomiske og handelsmæssige område, men også indenfor kulturverdenen. I denne forbindelse promoverer den danske ambassade interkulturel udveksling gennem ungdomsprogrammet "Jung Zusammen" (ung sammen), som finder sted I løbet af sommeren 2014. Jung Zusammen er en sommerskolelejr, hvor unge mødes i et internationalt miljø med henblik på at udvikle interkulturelle kompetencer og drøfte mulighederne for, hvordan man styrker tværkulturelt samarbejde mellem Danmark og Tyskland.

De nordiske ambassaders Fælleshus fortsætter i 2014 med deres nordiske filmklub, som finder sted to gange om måneden samt litteraturaftener, som omfatter oplæsninger fra nordiske forfattere og efterfølgende diskussioner.

Fælleshuset vil desuden danne rammerne for kunstudstillinger og koncerter. Fra den 15. januar indtager udstillingen "Sult Nach Bildern" (sulten efter malerier) bygningen. Udstillingen præsenterer malerier af fire finske kunstnere som alle repræsenterer en ny og ekspressionistisk stil kendetegnede for finsk kunst. Fra den 27. Februar indtil den 1. marts arrangerer de nordiske ambassader en musik- og kunstfestival. Festivalen kaldes "NORDLICHTER 2014" og byder på nordisk musik og kunst tre forskellige steder i Berlin: Fælleshuset, Radialsystem V og Philharmonie.

Konklusion
 
Den Danske Ambassade i Berlin samt de nordiske ambassaders Fælleshus har i det forgangene år præsenteret et kulturelt program med talrige arrangementer, der dækker et bredt aspekt af kultur- og kunstverdenen: kunstudstillinger, bogoplæsninger, koncerter, design shows og kulturelle familiebegivenheder. Støtten til danske kunstnere, der bor i Berlin er endnu et vellykket initiativ, der arrangeres af den danske ambassade - et initiativ som vil blive videreført i år 2014 sammen med mange andre kulturelle aktiviteter.

Nordisk kunst, kultur og design trives i Berlin. Gennem de nordiske ambassaders samarbejde i Fælleshuset, bliver dansk og nordisk kunst og kultur fremmet samt interkulturel dialog og kulturel udveksling på tværs af grænser.