We are thrilled to announce the opening date of the exhibition Nordmandsdalen: Power and Art in 18th-Century Denmark-Norway, a key component of NorWhite's Work Package 2 "Norwegian White: Problematizing Representations of Norwegian Identity in Art, Architecture, and Visual Culture." The exhibition will open at KODE Art Museums on 23 May 2025.
This extensive research-based exhibition delves into the dynamics of power, materials, and artistic expression during the period of absolutism in Denmark-Norway in the 18th century. The exhibition is a research collaboration between Senior Researcher Tonje Haugland Sørensen and Postdoc Helene Engnes Birkeli in the NorWhite project, KODE Art Museum, and the research project "Moving Monuments: The Material Life of Sculpture from the Danish Colonial Era" at the University of Copenhagen, led by Professor Mathias Danbolt.
The sculptural project Nordmandsdalen is a remarkable collection of sculptures established by King Frederik V at Fredensborg Castle in Denmark between 1764 and 1784, featuring 70 life-size statues representing the Norwegian, Sami, and Faroese people, making it a pioneering project in Danish-Norwegian art history. Often characterized as the first "democratic" endeavor, the park showcases depictions of "ordinary people," providing a diverse representation of society that contrasts with the usual focus on the elite.
Photos: Mathias Danbolt
The story of Nordmandsdalen begins in Bergen, Norway, where postman Jørgen Garnaas crafted a series of wooden figurines that served as the blueprint for the sculptures in the park. The exhibition traces the material circulation of the figures; how Garnaas' wooden dolls transitioned into figures made of ivory, sandstone, and porcelain when transported to the King's Copenhagen.
However, the exhibition invites us to reconsider the narrative surrounding Nordmandsdalen. It critically examines whether this ambitious project truly embodies democracy or serves as a form of propaganda. The sculptures reflect the absolutist regime's perception of its subjects, showcasing figures adorned with symbols of their labor, like fish, lobsters, and timber. As such, the exhibition Nordmandsdalen reveals the complex role citizens played within the economic framework of absolutism.
Overall, the exhibition aims to illuminate the rich connections and exchanges between Norwegian, Danish, and Sami art and craft during the absolutist era.
Left: Three original figures by Jørgen Garnaas, undated. University Museum in Bergen. Center: Jørgen Garnaas, Woman from Halling and Man from Nes parish in Hallingdal, undated. University Museum in Bergen. Right: Jørgen Garnaas, Maritime pilot from Mandal in ivory (1769). National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design.
The project draws on the remarkable collections of KODE and the Bergen University Museum, celebrating the shared historical legacy of Bergen Museum, which will proudly commemorate its 200th anniversary in 2025.
