Historical female artists and Jewish cultural history are intertwined in a new installation by the acclaimed visual artist Yvette Brackman. The installation is the result of her multi-year research project, where she, based on her own history, has discovered new narratives in the museum’s extensive collection of 700 years of visual art. Stories that include themes of escape, women’s art history, belonging, transnational artistic culture, and cultural assimilation.

“In the installation, I reflect on my relationship to Danish art history and seek out an artistic heritage. SMK’s collection has a strong national focus, and the history of Jewish artists in Denmark is not represented as such. In my work, I have searched for gaps in the collection, which I have attempted to fill by unfolding new stories and by adding relevant artworks,” explains Yvette Brackman.

‘Salon des Refusés’
Brackman’s installation consists of a total of 27 works and is named after the French exhibition ‘Salon des Refusés’ from 1863. Here, artists exhibited who had been rejected by the jury of the official Salon de Paris, which was the most important French art exhibition of the time. Brackman has selected works spanning from the year 1100 to 1949, representing Jewish history – or the lack thereof – in SMK’s art collection

Brackman’s installation of the collection has been underway since 2020. With the conflict between Hamas and Israel, a number of the exhibition’s themes have taken on new relevance. Brackman’s project is based on a historical stance, but the current situation illustrates i many ways that history and the contemporary always is connected. The installation can be experienced until the 8th of September 2024.