Published 15 December 2022
Programme for 2023: Innovative Collaboration Between the Glyptotek and Copenhagen Contemporary, Contemporary Art, Ancient Middle East Finds, and World-Class Architecture.
See the exhibition programme here:
Amarna – City of the Sun God
26 January – 18 June
The Glyptotek kicks off 2023 with an invitation to Amarna – the city of the sun god. The year is 1350 BCE, and we are in in ancient Egypt. The pharaoh Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti have come to power, and Aten, the sun god, is the only deity permitted. The royal couple build a magnificent new royal seat on the banks of the Nile – Amarna. The newly founded city housed temples for the new god, palaces for the royal family, housing, workshops and burial grounds for the people.
Following the death of Akhenaten, Amarna was abandoned and forgotten, and Egypt turned its back on the new religion. But no new buildings were constructed on top of the ruins, so they are very well preserved for posterity. The exhibition also commemorates the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun was the son of Akhenaten and grew up in Amarna, but his reign did not extend beyond his youth, because he died at the tender age of 19.
Read more about the exhibition.
Abbas Akhavan
From June
2023 will see the opening of the Glyptotek’s biggest ever contemporary art venture. Copenhagen Contemporary (CC) and the Glyptotek are collaborating to present the first-ever exhibition in Scandinavia devoted to the work of the artist Abbas Akhavan (b. 1977 in Tehran. Lives and works in Montreal). Based on the Glyptotek’s collections of antiquities from the Middle East, Akhavan will create an exhibition that will be presented in both institutions – gracing both the raw industrial halls of CC and the historic architecture of the Glyptotek.
In his work, Akhavan tackles complex geopolitical narratives. His works range from site-specific installations and performance to drawing, sculpture and video. In his highly alluring, tactile works, Akhavan studies displacements of objects and experiences, investigating historical, architectural and social structures that are associated with a particular area or place.
The exhibition will be the first in a series presented jointly by CC and the Glyptotek. The idea is for international contemporary art to shed new light on the cultural heritage of antiquity and its significance today.
The Temple of Beauty – The Architecture of the Glyptotek
17 May – 19 November
What stories lurk in the richly decorated, grand building and behind the façades? How does the architecture contribute to the fact that the Glyptotek is still a very special museum building? And in what way do the building and the collections of antiquities and Danish and French art come together to form an entity?
In 2023, Copenhagen is the World Capital of Architecture. To mark the occasion, the Glyptotek is presenting a special exhibition telling the story of the museum’s buildings, featuring architectural models, photos, drawings, film and sound, and installations showing sections of the structures of the buildings.
The buildings of the Glyptotek are the museum’s greatest work. Like a monument in the very heart of modern Copenhagen, together they create a unique setting for the works of art. Both inside and out, the buildings offer a myriad of stories and experiences, expressed through the various sequences of rooms, proportions, materials, textural qualities and effects of light.
The Glyptotek has its own architecture app featuring audio guides and background. It can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
Free Fun for Children
Every weekend up to and including the 26th of February, children and the young at heart have a chance to create their own art in the museum’s clay workshop. Draw inspiration from the myriad of patterns, monsters, ornaments and mythical creatures in the museum to create your own works, all of which will feature in a major joint exhibition.
The workshop has plenty of room for everyone, and the design, aprons and clay are all recycled.
Read more about the clay workshop.
Glypto Games and Family Guided Tours
Every Sunday from 10.30 to 11.30 am, families with children can enjoy a free family guided tour. It is an opportunity for children and their adults to discover art through sensory, bodily exercises. Families with children can also ‘play their way’ through the museum by themselves, using the museum’s Glypto Games, which both children and adults can play. You will find them at the museum’s ticket office.
See all the guided tours on the calendar.
Read more about the Glyptotek’s children’s universe.
2023 features an abundant programme of activities to support this year’s special exhibitions and other individual events at the Glyptotek.
