India 2022-2026
Visits to and from India by professional decision-makers from the cultural sector in Denmark and India will contribute to the fulfilment of projects covered by the exchange agreement. In Denmark, the responsibility for the agreement falls under the Collaboration Agreement between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark on Denmark’s International Cultural Collaboration. The Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces is the operator for the Collaboration Agreement, and in collaboration with the Danish Embassy in Delhi and the Indian partners, they make agreements on concrete visits to and from India.
Inspiration from India’s strong textile artisanal traditions
For centuries, the strong Indian textile artisanal traditions have inspired Denmark. The Danish National Archives in Copenhagen possess swatches that were brought to Denmark from the very first trade relations between Denmark and India, and Danish craftsmen and designers have been inspired by India’s traditions ever since. The cultural exchange agreement focuses on these strong ties between Denmark and India through three activities:
- Exhibition
A Danish textile exhibition was held at National Handicraft and Handlooms Museum From November 2022 to February 2023 in Delhi. It included examples of how 14 different Danish textile artists and fashion designers find inspiration in India’s strong artisanal traditions and culture. The curators of the exhibition were Mathias Menze and Alexander V. Ottenstei.
National Handicraft and Handlooms Museum, India, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and the Ministry of Culture supported the exhibition.
The exhibition highlighted how the traditional can influence the modern across time, place and cultures. More information on the exhibition and pictures can be found in the pdf-files below.
See pictures from the exhibition
National Handicraft and Handlooms Museum, India, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and the Ministry of Culture supported the exhibition.
- Residency with master artisans
Five Danish artists were selected in October 2022 to receive travel grants to support a two-week residency in India in 2023 with a master in Indian textile craftsmanship. The five Danish artists, Indian masters and their techniques are:
- Katrine Hoff to stay with master Khatri Adil Mustak (Bandhani – Tie & Dye)
- Anne Fabricius Møller to stay with master Khushiram Pandey (Hand Block Printing)
- Begitte Lynge Andersen to stay with master Gaurav Choudhary (Hand Appliqué)
- Anna Bruun Kristiansen to stay with master Radhe Shayam Meher (Ikat Weaving)
- Sarah Brunnhuber to stay with Mahamaya Sikdar (Kantha Stitch Embroidery)
Residencies with master artisans were arranged and carried out in collaboration with the Indian organisation, All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association, (AIACA), India, and the Danish Art Workshops, Copenhagen and supported by AIACA, the Danish Arts Workshops, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
- Workshops in Denmark
In autumn in 2023, the Danish Arts Workshops, Copenhagen, held a number of workshops in collaboration with Indian master artisans within the following Indian artisanal traditions: Hand Block Print, Hand Appliqué, Bandhani Tie and Dye, Kantha Stitch Embroidery, Ikat Weaving.
The Danish Art Workshops, the Danish Arts Foundation (TBC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and the Ministry of Culture supported the workshops at the Danish Art Workshops.
Exhibition - Silver traditions in Denmark and India
Museum Kolding and the National Museum in New Delhi collaborated in 2023 on the exhibition ”Silver treasures from Denmark and India”. Both museum chose their greatest silver pieces to showcase the differences and similarities between Danish and Indian silversmith artistry and crafts traditions.
Museum Kolding’s contribution covered the Danish silver tradition from the renaissance to modern Danish silver design. The exhibition consisted of over 250 silver art pieces. Both the Danish minister of foreign affairs and the crown prince and princess were present at the opening of the exhibition.
More information on the exhibition can be found on Museum Kolding’s website
Museum Kolding, the National Museum in New Delhi, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark supported the exhibition.
Danish/Indian jazz exchange
JazzDanmark is collaborating with Indian Spic Macay and Jazz in India in 2022-2024. Together they have created projects that further the cultural exchange between Denmark and India through jazz. The projects include Danish jazz in Indian school concerts and Indian jazz musicians in Danish children’s concerts. JazzDanmark arranged for the Rudra-veena player Bahauddin Dagar to host a masterclass in Denmark in 2023. Dagar played several concerts during his visit and collaborated with Copenhagen Jazz Orchestra.
JazzDanmark, Indian Spic Macay, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark support the collaboration.