September 17, 2016 – March 19, 2017
In the museum’s collection, hidden on the back of the many well-known canvases by Carl-Henning Pedersen and Else Alfelt, exists a unique assortment of so far unseen paintings. In our exhibition ON THE OTHER SIDE…, these little-seen treasures are brought into the open for some overdue attention.
Carl-Henning Pedersen in the attic of Carlsberg Brewery, surrounded by his stored paintings, 1966
Photo: Berlingske Tidende by Gunnar Jespersen
ON THE OTHER SIDE… is an exhibition about Carl-Henning Pedersen, Else Alfelt and “the other side” of art. It explores the different meanings of the expression “the other side”. In a literal sense, the title refers to the physical back of a painting where you may sometimes find information about the history of the work: When was it made? Where has it been exhibited? Is the piece preserved in any particular way? … Or is there perhaps another artwork concealed behind the first one?
However, ”the other side” may also have a different meaning, as in the expression “the other side of the coin”. Seen in this light the hidden artworks raise other types of questions – about the artist himself and the motives behind the painting. For instance, why did he choose to paint on both sides of the canvas?
ON THE OTHER SIDE… encourages us to take a closer look: At the artworks themselves and their hidden surfaces – but also at the artist’s deeper motivations for painting and creating art.