Bøger udgivet af SMK Shop / Statens Museum for Kunst

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-78) er en af 1700-tallets mest betydningsfulde romerske kunstnere. Han var uddannet arkitekt, men er bedst kendt for sin produktion af grafiske tryk, der gennem tiden har fascineret kunstinteresserede. Allerede i samtiden var hans værker berømte.I denne bog, der ledsager SMK’s udstilling Piranesi – syner og sandhed, undersøges den visuelle fascinationskraft ved kunstnerens værker. Med en overlegen grafisk teknik skabte Piranesi imponerende og detaljerede billeduniverser, som man uundgåeligt fortaber sig i. Antikkens ruiner var et yndet motiv, og hans hensigt var at vise fortidens Rom som et højdepunkt for civilisation, kreativitet og innovation. Piranesis ærinde var dog ikke alene at gengive den virkelighed, han erfarede. Han tilføjede den dramatiske og effektfulde elementer og manipulerede radikalt med perspektiverne. Værkerne ender et sted mellem syner og sandhed. De er både syner og sandhed.

”Jeg er helt på det rene med, at min kunst har et formål, ”skrev den tyske kunstner Käthe Kollwitz i 1922. ”Jeg vil virke i denne tid, hvor menneskene er så rådvilde og trængende. ”Käthe Kollwitz var professionelt aktiv som kunstner i de fem mest turbulente årtier af Tysklands historie, fra 1890’erne til begyndelsen af 1940’erne. I en tid, hvor kunsten blev italesat og idealiseret som fri, brugte hun sin kunst som talerør for dem, der havde mest brug for det.Denne rigt illustrerede bog er udgivet i forbindelse med en stor retrospektiv udstilling på SMK – Statens Museum for Kunst og giver et indblik i Kollwitz’ kompromisløse billedsprog, både i hendes fortolkninger af historien, i beskrivelserne af dybe eksistentielle erfaringer og i kritikken af den sociale og politiske virkelighed. Gennem en række essays introducerer bogen Kollwitz’ liv og kunst. Den åbner nye historiske og nutidige vinkler på hendes eksperimenterende grafiske værker og deres banebrydende udsagn om kvinder, klassesamfund og krigstraumer og dykker ned i en kunstneriskverden, hvor lys og mørke, sorg og håb eksisterer side om side.

“I acknowledge that my art is purposeful,” the German artist Käthe Kollwitz wrote in 1922. “I want to make an impact in these times, when people are so helpless and in need.” Käthe Kollwitz was active as an artist during the five most turbulentdecades in Germany’s history, from the 1890s to the early1940s. At a time when art was predominantly spoken of and idealised as free, she used her art to give a voice to thosewho needed it most.This richly illustrated book is published in connection with a large retrospective exhibition at SMK – National Gallery of Denmark and offers insights into Kollwitz’s uncompromisingvisual language, both in her interpretations of history, her descriptions of deep existential experiences, and her critique of social and political realities. Through a number of essays, the book introduces Kollwitz’s life and work. It opens new historical and contemporary perspectives on her experimental graphic works and their ground-breaking statements about women, class-based society, and war traumas, while also delving into an artistic world where light and darkness, sorrow and hope exist side by side.

Melchior Lorck's works are fascinating. They have a special seductive quality not unlike contemporary advertisements. We are captivated by their well-executed compositions, their clarity, simplicity, and craftsmanship – their imagery. Melchior Lorck lived from 1526/27 to sometime after 1583 and is relatively unknown today. Who was he? And what were his works?Lorck was primarily a graphic artist and aimed to publish large, illustrated books. However, none of them were completed, and as a result, we only know a limited part of his ambitious artistic project. Its full extent and final expression can only be imagined. Nevertheless, a fascinating body of work remains. Research into Lorck's works has been limited compared to how pioneering an artist he was on the international stage. The seven articles in this book present new research that illuminates new aspects of Lorck's work and proposes new understandings and interpretations of it.

Melchior Lorcks værker fascinerer. De har en særlig forførende karakter ikke ulig nutidens reklamer. Vi betages af deres gennemførte kompositioner, deres klarhed, enkelhed og håndværksmæssige niveau – deres billedkraft. Melchior Lorck levede fra 1526/27 til engang efter 1583 og er i dag relativt ukendt. Hvem var han? Og hvad ville hans værker?Lorck var frem for alt grafiker og ville udgive store, illustrerede bogværker. Ingen af dem blev dog færdige, og derfor kender vi kun til en begrænset del af hans ambitiøse, kunstneriske projekt. Dets fulde omfang og endelige udtryk kan vi kun forestille os. Trods dette står et fascinerende livsværk tilbage. Forskningen i Lorcks værker har været begrænset i forhold til, hvor internationalt banebrydende en kunstner han var. Denne bogs syv artikler præsenterer ny forskning, der belyser nye aspekter af Lorcks værk og foreslår nye forståelser og tolkninger af det.

Masks, myths, blubber, and stilettos. In a new solo exhibition, using humour and tragedy in equal measure, Jessie Kleemann examines how Greenlandic identity, culture, and nature change over time.For three decades now, Kleemann has been a significant figure on the contemporary art scene with her original approach to video art, experimental theatre, and performance art. Her art is rooted in the complex relations between Greenland, where she was born and raised, and Denmark, where she resides today.This booklet has been published in connection with the exhibition 'Time Runs, Runs Time' at the National Gallery of Denmark, August 24th - November 26th, 2023

Masker, myter, spæk og stilletter. I en ny soloudstilling undersøger Jessie Kleemann med lige dele humor og tragik, hvordan grønlandsk identitet, kultur og natur forandrer sig over tid.Gennem tre årtier har Kleemann været en markant figur på samtidskunstens scene med sin originale tilgang til videokunst, eksperimentalteater og performancekunst. Hendes kunst tager afsæt i de komplekse relationer mellem Grønland, hvor hun er født og opvokset – og Danmark, hvor hun bor i dag.Dette hæfte er udgivet i forbindelse med udstillingen 'Tiden løber løber tiden' på Statens Museum for Kunst, 24. august - 26. november 2023

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-78) is one of the most significant artists of 18th-century Rome, whose works brought him fame even during his own lifetime. He trained as an architect, but is most famous for the graphic prints that have fascinated people for centuries.This book, published to accompany SMK’s exhibition Piranesi – Vision and Veracity, explores the power of his art to fascinate viewers. Thanks to his supreme mastery of graphic techniques, Piranesi was able to create detailed and impressive visual universes in which it is impossible not to lose oneself. The ruins of antiquity are a favoured motif in his mission to show the Rome of the past as the zenith of civilisation, creativity and innovation.Piranesi’s goal was not, however, solely to depict reality as he saw it. He infused his images with impressive, dramatic elements, radically manipulating their perspectives. The resulting works convince as both visions and veracity.