NORDIC INTERIORS. Spaces of Indeterminacy in Late Nineteenth-Century Painting

By the end of the nineteenth century the domestic interior becomes a favorite motif in art. Painters like Vilhelm Hammershøi, Anna Ancher and Carl Larsson invite us to peek into their private spheres. In Kristiania (Oslo) Christian Krohg uses the interior as a stage for social debate, while the playwriter Henrik Ibsen uses architectural metaphors to question the structures of society. By the end of the nineteenth century the interior has become a space of indeterminate and potential meaning.

The widespread presence of interior motifs in late nineteenth-century Nordic painting can be seen as the consequence of an interior cult that developed throughout the nineteenth century. During this century the domestic interior becomes the framework through which the bourgeoisie can express itself. According to the German philosopher, cultural critic and essayist Walter Benjamin this happens between 1830 and 1848 in France under the rule of King Louis-Philippe. Louis-Philippe supports the economical interests of the bourgeoisie, and this gives rise to the idea of the domestic interior as a space of exposure.

At this seminar art historical researchers from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden will cast new perspectives on Nordic interior paintings from the end of the nineteenth century, an area which in recent years has been subject to extensive research and exhibition activity.

With this seminar we want to facilitate a forum were art historians and others can exchange research and ideas that may lead to new knowledge and collaborations spanning national and professional borders. The seminar is organised by the Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies at Aarhus University (DK) and Brandts – Museum of Art & Visual Culture (DK) with support from New Carlsberg Foundation.

PARTICIPATION AND REGISTRATION:
Participation is free. Registration is necessary and closes on 23 August 2019. Coffee, lunch, refreshments and entrance to the exhibitions at Brandts are included. Please sign up for registration here: https://events.au.dk/Nordicinteriors

Presentations and discussions will be in English.

QUESTIONS
Contact organiser Ellen Egemose: ellen.egemosecc.au.dk


PROGRAM

9:00-9:30: REGISTRATION WITH COFFEE AND CROISSANTS

9:30-9:45: Welcome
Welcome by Mads Damsbo, director, Brandts
Practical information by Ellen Egemose, organiser, Brandts and Aarhus University
Introduction by Jacob Wamberg, professor, Aarhus University

9:45-10.20: Is there such a Thing as a Nordic Interior Painting?
Nils Ohlsen, director, Lillehammer Art Museum

10:20-10:35: COMFORT BREAK

10:35-11:10: On Vilhelm Hammershøi, Photography and Artistic Processes
Gertrud Oelsner, director, The Hirschsprung Collection

11:10-11:45: The Silence of the Surface. On Hammershøi’s Interiors
Bente Larsen, professor, University of Oslo

11:45-12:45: LUNCH BREAK (THE EXHIBITIONS ARE OPEN ALL DAY UNTIL 9:00 PM)

12:45-13:20: Walls of Ambiguity in Late Nineteenth-Century Nordic Painting
Ellen Egemose, PhD-fellow, Aarhus University and curator, Brandts

13:20-13:55: Thoughts from Below. Carl Larsson and the Carpet
Martin Sundberg, curator, Norrköpings Konstmuseum

14:00-14:30: BREAK AND REFRESHMENTS

14:30-15:05: Christian Krohg’s Studio Interiors
Øystein Sjåstad, associate professor, University of Oslo

15:05-15:40: Queer Liminality in Kristian Zahrtmann’s Interiors
Rasmus Kjærboe, postdoc, Aarhus University and curator, Ribe Art Museum

15:40-16:00: Wrap-up
Jacob Wamberg, professor, Aarhus University