Normalization – or the tragedy of adaptation?

03 Aug to 01 Sep 2013 | open Tues – Sun, 14.00 – 19.00
Special: On 31 August and 1 September we invite you to two days of surprise performances. The program is coming soon.

Normalization – or the tragedy of adaptation ?
A socially critical and poetic dialogue with photographs of Christiania in the period 2008-2012.

By cand.mag. Anke Hurrelbrink

A 177-page catalog for the exhibition is published in Danish, English and German.
This exhibition is not about the various political processes on the part of the Danish government to normalize Christiania, but about the question: what does normality and normalization entail?

In relation to this question, Christiania is for me a wonderful example of not least metaphorical significance. The sanctuary is exemplary of the life that does not accept normality as the conformist society defines it. What makes Christiania so endearing to me is that this community has the courage to create alternative living conditions on a fairly large scale. What I have focused on most on my travels is the creation of the very creative and beautiful homes embedded in nature. But the exhibition's reflections are not limited to the immediate beauty of these homes in their natural surroundings, but try to penetrate the question of which living conditions contribute to a more authentic expression of life. I experience Christiania's architecture as a blueprint for life, which expresses much more than just a roof over the head, but it also tells something about how the individual understands his life and how he/she manages to realize it. The individual's attempt to express himself through his home is only one aspect of Christiania's community, which can be understood as self-rescue from normalization or the conformity of normality. The exhibition is primarily concerned with bringing the question of the powerful force of conformity to the viewer's consciousness. Christiania as a micro-community should not be understood as problem-free – where there are people, there are conflicts. My wish is to create a resonance in the viewer, which could be the beginning of an exploration of how much foreign determination the individual accepts in his own life, and whether we manage to realize how we prevent ourselves from being able to make authentic choices.

On the other hand, the considerations of the exhibition must also sensitize us to the general societal attempts to normalize ever new areas of life, by subjecting more and more areas of life to a sanctioning control, which has just now achieved unexpected relevance.

This subject is illuminated under different aspects, without however having a claim to unequivocal answers, but rather to provoke the viewer to find their own answers.

The exhibition has been sponsored by Christiania's Cultural-Political Foundation.



Painting exhibition by Annette Steinhart
Brightly colored, expressive paintings painted with a palette of acrylic colours. A magical universe, inspired by the contradictory life of Christiania.

The time and the artists at Christiania are the focal point for Annette Steinhart's colorful paintings, which, expressed in an expressive way, formulate the magic in her art.

The artist and sculptor Svend Viig Hansen became her teacher throughout the 80s and was one of her great role models. Painting brings great joy and meaning to her life; conjuring up the palette and composing the colors with and against each other is an important part of her journey as a creative artist.

The discussion between the lines is an important ingredient in her imagery, which, like tones, fables in colored scales on canvas.