20 years in Danish Art
Stalke Galleri
Albert Mertz, Anne Bennike, Arne Pjedsted Salomonsen, Christian Heide, Dirk Larsen, Dove Bradshaw, Eske Kath, Eva Larsson, Finn Reinbothe, Flemming Brusgaard, Gert Rappenecker, Giancarlo Savino, Gudmundur Ingolfsson, Gunnar Örn, Håkan Nyström, Hans Peterson, Henrik S. Holck, Ian Schjals, Jane Rässinnen, Jenny Watson, Jeppe Hein, Thomas Wolsing, Jes Brinch, Jes Mogensen, Johan Nobell, Kaj Nyborg, Kristian Von Hornsleth, Lawrence Weiner, Lidy Jacobs, Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen, Lone Mertz, Lone Slov Madsen, Madeline Berkheimer, Margrete Sørensen, Marianne Hesselbjerg, Michael Coughlan, Morten Nielsen, Morten Schelde, Niels Bonde, Nils Erik Gjerdevik, Nikolaj Recke, Olafur Eliasson, Per Traasdahl, Peter Neuchs, Peter Rössell, Sam Jedig, Stefan Caltia, Suzette Gemzøe, Thomas Bang, Thorbjørn Lausten, Tine Elina Nurminen, Torben Ebbesen, William Anastasi, William Anthony, Tal R
Stalke Galleri
Kirke Sonnerup and Vesterbrogade 14A
20.4. to 1.6.2002
20 Years in Danish Art
Stalke Expanded Its Activities by Opening Kirke Sonnerup Gallery and the Stalke Collection
A long time ago, more precisely in 1982, Sam Jedig opened Jedig Gallery at Øster Allé 22. The gallery later moved to Admiralgade, followed by Nørregade Gallery and, from 1987, Stalke Galleri, Stalke Project, and Stalke Art Business. In 1991, Stalke Out of Space was established and recently concluded its 29th project, which included an exhibition of works by Albert Mertz. In addition, the 10th anniversary of Stalke Out of Space was celebrated with an exhibition in Copenhagen the previous summer.
Since 1982, the gallery had hosted approximately 300 exhibitions, and more than 500 artists had been in contact with the gallery in one way or another. Over the previous ten years, particular emphasis had been placed on presenting younger Danish and international artists. At the time, Sam Jedig and Kim Bendixen managed Stalke’s daily activities.
Stalke expanded its field of activity with the opening of Kirke Sonnerup Gallery, where the Stalke Collection was also presented—a private collection of modern art. The collection consisted of more than 2,000 works, spanning from the 1960s to the present. In the future, the gallery, formerly known as Kirke Sonnerup Arts and Crafts, would offer opportunities to view selected works from the collection in addition to special exhibitions. Plans were made to host three to four exhibitions per year featuring both Danish and international artists, while also initiating alternative cultural activities.
The goal was for the newly renovated premises and distinctive atmosphere to become an exciting gathering point and an interesting alternative to other art institutions in the northeastern part of Zealand. Kirke Sonnerup Gallery was surrounded by areas of natural beauty, and the village of Kirke Sonnerup was located between Holbæk and Roskilde, only a 30-minute drive from Copenhagen.
The Opening of Kirke Sonnerup Gallery and the Celebration of Sam Jedig’s 20th Anniversary
This occasion was marked by a comprehensive exhibition titled “20 Years in Danish Art.”In total, 50 artists with whom the gallery had either collaborated previously or was currently collaborating were invited. The exhibition, held partly in Copenhagen and partly in Kirke Sonnerup, offered a broad overview of the trends and currents that Stalke had focused on over the years.
Among the invited Danish artists were Albert Mertz, Torben Ebbesen, Margrete Sørensen, Thorbjørn Lausten, and Thomas Bang. Representing the younger generation of Danish artists were Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen, Nikolaj Recke, Eske Kath, Olafur Eliasson, and Kristian Hornsleth. International artists included well-known figures such as William Anastasi, Lawrence Weiner, Jenny Watson, and Johan Nobell, all of whom had made a significant impact on the international art scene.
The exhibition ran until June 1, 2002.
Sincerely,
Sam Jedig and Kim Bendixen
In the article “International Village,” Lars Ole Knippel describes how gallerist and artist Sam Jedig has established Kirke Sonnerup as a new artistic meeting point between Roskilde and Holbæk. The site functions as a platform for both Danish and international art and is seen by Jedig as a launch pad for new directions in contemporary art.
Kirke Sonnerup Gallery builds on Jedig’s many years of work in Copenhagen, where since the early 1980s he has been behind initiatives such as Jedig Gallery, Stalke Galleri, Stalke Project. These initiatives played a significant role in introducing international artistic currents to the Danish art scene. With the move to Kirke Sonnerup, the ambition was not to withdraw from the art world, but rather to create an alternative to the metropolitan art scene—a place where immersion, production, and exchange could take place.
The former assembly hall in Kirke Sonnerup provides the setting for a gallery that combines rural calm with a strong international outlook. The gallery functions both as an exhibition space and as a meeting place for artists and art audiences from Denmark and abroad. According to Knippel, the project is neither nostalgic nor provincial, but marked by optimism and a clear ambition to contribute actively to the development of contemporary art.
The anniversary exhibition “20 Years in Danish Art” brings together 55 artists and offers a broad overview of Stalke’s artistic network and activities over two decades. Among the participants are prominent Danish artists such as Albert Mertz and Olafur Eliasson, alongside international names including Lawrence Weiner, William Anastasi, and Jenny Watson. Taken together, Kirke Sonnerup emerges as an “international village” where local surroundings and global artistic practices meet in an open and forward-looking art environment.