EXHIBITION · The camera and us · The camera and us – the human being in photography 1839-2021
EXHIBITION · The camera and us · The camera and us – the human being in photography 1839-2021
Denmark's first permanent exhibition on the history of photography with humans as motif.
The camera and us presents a selection of works from Royal Danish Library's photo collections, which contain several million images. The theme is human as a motif, and the exhibition asks what photography does to our perception of ourselves and our ideas about each other.
The daguerreotypists, as history's first photographers were called, fascinated the world with the new invention in 1839. Never before had anyone seen themselves reproduced in such detail and so quickly. The well-liked images were perceived as pure magic, and suddenly the art of portraiture was no longer reserved for society's elite. Photographs of people spread throughout the world, and today they are everywhere.
For almost 200 years, the medium has become our most important means of communication and remembrance, while at the same time it has developed as a special art form. In The camera and us, the story is told based on different forms of photography, which all have in common that they characterize today's visual culture. From the first precious portraits created on silver-plated metal plates to the image stream of the digital age running through public and private life.
Featured artists
The exhibition contains works by, among others, Arvida Byström, Per Morten Abrahamsen, Pia Arke, Richard Avedon, Claude Cahun, Julia Margaret Cameron, Krass Clement, Holger Damgaard, Jeannette Ehlers, Walker Evans, Per Folkver, Peter Funch, Charlotte Haslund-Christensen, Jesper Høm, Ditte Haarløv-Johnsen, Petra Kleis, Rigmor Mydtskov, Felix Nadar, Rie Nissen, Anders Petersen, Thomas Ruff, August Sander, Henrik Saxgren and Trine Søndergaard.
The exhibition was created by curator of photography Sarah Giersing and senior researcher, Ph.D. Mette Kia Krabbe Meyer, who both work on a daily basis in Royal Danish Library's special collections. Together, they have also produced the book "The Camera and Us", which was published in connection with the exhibition opening.
The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive dissemination program with both educational offers and audience activities.
Opening hours:
Mon-fri: 10-20
Sat: 10-18
Sun: 10-16
