NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2009

NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2009
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In our newsletter you can read about current and coming events at the
Institute, and relevant useful information and news
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The Great Palle Nielsen and Armsrock in Athens
“I love Earth and life so much that I cannot help but express it. It gives extra sustenance to what we
call anger and sorrow deriving from the forces that seem to succeed in destroying life and the world. I
take responsibility for my works, for they were made on purpose. I really mean what I express in my
pictures…”
Palle Nielsen
In 2009, Denmark celebrates the 50 th anniversary of the
presentation of the great graphic artist Palle Nielsen’s
series of 53 linocuts “Orpheus and Eurydice I”, and in this
connection, The Danish Institute has been given the
opportunity, in cooperation with The Goulandris Museum
of Cycladic Art in Athens and Vejle Art Museum, to
exhibit not only the series “Orpheus and Eurydice I”, but
also Palle Nielsen’s sketches to the series, making it an
exhibition of around 110 framed works.
Palle Nielsen (1920-2000) is to date Denmark’s most
notable graphic artist, who has also been presented on exhibitions around the world. “Orpheus and
Eurydice” (an unfinished series in three parts: I:1955-59, II:1961-69, III:1971-84) is considered to be
his break-through.
In Palle Nielsen, the classical myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is the mind frame of
loss in itself, the loss of the humane and the humanistic outlook on life and man.
The myth turns into a story of a man’s journey through a foreign, scary,
incomprehensible, violent world marked by power and greediness, deceit and
infatuation. Everyone can relate to the fear of losing the world we love and the
people we care about, and this is one of the reasons why Palle Nielsen’s series
”Orpheus and Eurydice” is timeless and eternally relevant.
His graphic art has been and is still a model for the succeeding generations of
Danish graphic artists, and by his art’s technical quality, his artistic integrity and
his original approach to his themes, he has the potential of world-wide
recognition with his themes and motifs of universal character. Palle Nielsen, 2000
Photo: Steen Møller Rasmussen
One of the artists who are greatly inspired by Palle Nielsen is the Danish street-artist Armsrock (alias
Asbjørn Skou). He will be exhibiting works created at and painted directly on the inner walls of the
Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art for this particular exhibition. His works – thus created on site –

will have the theme “procession”, and he will draw inspiration from both Palle Nielsen and the city
around him.
Photo: dailydujour.com
Armsrock was born in 1984 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is an urban-artist and
activist who, for the last several years, has been working with the human
condition in the urban environment. He has been working with the medium of
drawing in various ways to explore and comment on the city and the society that
is housed within it. He has been trying to question the role of art and artist in
society by making art that is ephemeral, for free and for everybody. By creating
hundreds of unique drawings of his fellow citizens, and placing these original
pieces on the walls of the city, in an attempt to generate a critical understanding
of the stories and fates that houses around and in all of us, he hopes to send a
signal or raise a question about the details and mechanisms of our society.
The exhibition opens on 22 September at 8 p.m. at the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art, Vas. Sofias & 1,
Irodotou Str., Athens (www.cycladic.gr)
The exhibition will be on display until 25 October. Opening hours: Monday – Wednesday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 5
p.m., Thursday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesday closed.
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Jørgen Mejer 1942-2009
It is with great sadness that we learned that the former
director of the Danish Institute (2001-2003), Dr. Jørgen
Mejer, passed away in his home in Copenhagen on 7
September, after a long period of illness.
Educated at Harvard and University of Copenhagen in Greek
and Latin, his special focus was on Greek literature from the
Persian Wars to Alexander, Greek philosophy from Thales to
Plato, historiography of philosophy in antiquity, Cicero, the
Classical tradition and also adult education.
Photo: Hans V. Bischoff
Since 1964 he taught Classics and European Civilization in Europe, USA and China, and was
employed in 1967 by the University of Copenhagen. In 2001-2003 he was the director of the Danish
Institute at Athens, and in the recent years focused on his research and was affiliated to the University
of Copenhagen, department of Classical studies.
We will remember Jørgen as a fiery soul, with a deep knowledge and great engagement in his fields of
interest. His unfailing good spirits were catching, and his intelligent and pleasant ways endeared him
to all.
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European Music Day – Athens and Larissa
Lise Dres and her band participated in the 10 th European Music Day celebration with concerts in both
Larissa (21 June) and Athens (23 June). The Danish participation was under the umbrella of the
EUNIC Greece co-operation (www.eunic-europe.eu)
The concerts attracted large audiences, and Lise Dres left Greece having made
fans in both Larissa and Athens.
The concert in Athens has been uploaded on the internet – by following the
below link, you will be able to see Lise’s songs one by one.
The Danish Institute plans to participate in next year’s celebration of the
European Music Day as well, and will call for entries in the
Autumn/Winter.
Foto: Dimitris Avrazis
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=inthemarket&view=videos
More on Lise Dres here: www.myspace.com/lisedres

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Autumn 2009 at the Danish Institute at Athens
The Autumn program for the Danish Institute is out and can be found at: www.diathens.com
Upcoming events:
*Thursday 17 September at 8 p.m.
Book presentation in English of the book ”The circle of Karma” by the Bhutanese author Kunzang
Choden. The author herself will be present and talk about “Women of Bhutan: Between Tradition and
Modernization”, and introduce her new collection of short stories based on the lives of real Bhutanese
women titled "Tales in Colour".
*Thursday 17 September at 8 p.m to Sunday 20 September
Photo exhibition: ”Between the Earth and the Sky: Glimpses of the Himalayan
Kingdom of Bhutan”. Photos by: Alexandros Sarrigeorgiou, Romolo Gandolfo
and Dimitris Steinhauer.
Film screenings about/from Bhutan at the exhibition (with English subtitles):
Friday at 7 p.m and Sunday at 7 p.m: Karma’s Chair
Saturday at 7 p.m: Health Care the Bhutanese Way
Opening hours: 6-10 p.m., entrance free
The above events are organised by the Greece-Bhutan Friendship Association
(info@bhutansociety.gr) in cooperation with The Danish Institute at Athens.
*Tuesday 22 September at 8 p.m.
Opening of the exhibition ”Man, dream and Fear” with the Danish artist Palle
Nielsen and the Street-Artist Armsrock. The exhibition is on display at the
Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art until 25 October 2009 (see above).
*Saturday 26 September 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
International workshop ”Obsidian in the Mediterranean”
The workshop is open for all interested. Registration not needed.
Program: www.diathens.com
*Monday 28 September at 8 p.m.
Screening of the film ”I shall not want” about Palle Nielsen. Danish speak, Greek
subtitles. Presentation and introduction in English by the film’s Danish director Jytte
Rex.
*Monday 5 October at 8 p.m.
“Man and his environment, exemplified by the works of the artists Palle Nielsen (1920-2000) and Armsrock
(1984)”
Lecture in English by Signe Jacobsen, curator, Vejle Art Museum.
*The lecture and the film screening about Palle Nielsen are parallel events to the exhibition at the Goulandris
Museum of Cycladic Art.
*Monday 12 October at 8 p.m.
“New discoveries from magnetic surveys at classical sites in Greece, Turkey,
Egypt, and Ukraine”
Lecture in English by research fellow Dr. Tatiana Smekalova, Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus, Denmark.
The event takes place in cooperation with the Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish Institute.
*Friday 16 October at 8 p.m.
Classical music. Concert with pianist Henrik Bo Hansen and bassoonist Magnus
Nilsson. Works by Nikos Skalkottas, Robert Schumann and selected
Scandinavian composers.
The event takes place in cooperation with the Swedish institute at Athens.
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Cultural calendar and other announcements
• Until the end of September 2009, an exhibition with photos, audiovisual and other material
about the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis takes place at the Exhibition Halls of The
Hellenic Parliament Foundation in Syntagma (Mitropoleos 1 & Filellinon, tel: 210 3709081).
Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Entrance free.
• On 16 September at 8 p.m. the exhibition “Childhood and family matters” with works by the
Danish artist Lisbeth van Deurs and the Greek painter Sofia Vlazaki opens in Crete at Villa
Koundourou, Iroon Politechniou 2, Khania. Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., and 7
p.m.-10 p.m. Until 30 September 2009.
• Thursday 17 September at 7-11 p.m.: “Green concert” at Zappeion with the Danish band
Grand Avenue and others, in connection with the annual Book Festival. Organised by the
Danish Embassy, SEKB and SKAI. For more information, please see: www.ambathen.um.dk
• The Danish Embassy organises another event in connection with the Book Festival. It takes
place on Saturday 26 September at 8-10 p.m. at Zappeio: “Poets break the silence”. Six
Greek poets read their poems at an event titled “Greening the future”. For more information,
please visit the website stated above.
• The 15 th Athens International Film Festival (www.aiff.gr) taking place from 16-27 September
has a special dedication to the Danish filmmaker Jørgen Leth. Six of his films will be shown:
Saturday 19/9 at 8.45 p.m.: 66 scenes from America and Life in Denmark at DANAOS 2
cinema. Thursday 24/9 at 5.30 p.m.: The Impossible Hour, Chinese Ping Pong and Aarhus.
At APOLLON CINEMAX class. Saturday 26/9 at 5.30 p.m.: Haiti: Untitled. At ATTIKON
CINEMAX class.
Furthermore, two other films by Danes will be shown: Tuesday 24/9 at 7.30 p.m. at
APOLLON CINEMAX class: Roskilde by Ulrik Wivel, and Saturday 26/9 at 7 p.m. at
DANAOS 1: Millenium by Nils Arden Oplev.
APOLLON & ATTIKON CINEMAX class, Stadiou 19, tel: 210 3236811 / 210 3228821
DANAOS 1 & 2, Kifissias Avenue 109, tel: 210 6922655.
• The 2 nd Athens Biennale 2009 HEAVEN, takes place in the Esplanade Building (next to Tae
Kwon Do Court), Faliro Olympic Complex, in the Flisvos Building and various open spaces
along the coast of Palaio Faliro. Until 4 October, 2009. For more information:
http://www.athensbiennial.org/AB/en/heaven/EN_HVblog.htm
• Currently, the exhibition “Worshipping women: Ritual and Reality in Classical Athens” is on
display at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens (Patision 44, Athens. tel: 210
8217717). Until 30 November 2009. More information and details at:
http://www.culture.gr/h/4/eh41.jsp?obj_id=16801
• The foundation of the Hellenic World (Piraeos 254, Tavros. Tel.: 212 2545000.
http://www.fhw.gr/fhw/index.php?lg=2 ) shows an interesting, interactive exhibition,
“Meeting the Ancient Agora”. With natural exhibits and interactive applications of advanced
technology, the exhibition brings to life the social, political and intellectual reality of the city
of Athens in the period in which the Agora was constructed
Herefondos 14, Tel.: +30 210 32 44 644 Home page: www.diathens.com
GR-105 58 Athens fax: +30 210 32 47 230 E-mail: info@diathens.com