Stalke in the Big World

A unique construction in Danish art life
– Stalke Out of Space –
celebrates its ten-year anniversary this year. ​

Once, Sam Jedig sat in a basement near Nikolaj Church, running a gallery like so many others. One day, he turned the key and instead created Stalke Gallery out on Vesterbro. But even that wasn’t enough. The gallery institution had become a straitjacket for his perception of art in a new reality. In the past ten years, Jedig has instead focused on billboards placed throughout the metropolitan Copenhagen area, traveling exhibitions featuring experimental young art—created in collaboration with twelve Danish business giants—guest exhibitions in other galleries, and, most importantly, participation in international art fairs. Like an unpredictable surfer, he has popped up on one wave and then the next, in recent years alongside his new partner Kim Bendixen.

Sam Jedig is, therefore, not a member of those clubs that would have someone like him as a member. He always stays outside the door—by choice. And this approach has so far greatly benefited his artists. If one were to place the Stalke concept in the Danish landscape, it would be among the forefront, alongside Nicolai Wallner and Niels Stærk. These three galleries each have a remarkable talent for detecting new and promising artists. They also excel at identifying new opportunities on the art scene, which increasingly revolves around the ability to decode social and societal trends.

Stalke’s People

The 1980s created its own unique group of artists. Peter Bonde and Claus Carstensen stood out alongside Nina Sten-Knudsen, Berit Jensen, and others. At that time, the concept of art had already gone bananas. The modernists laughed while the traditionalists cried. In the 1990s, the fragmentation of the art concept continued, and a new generation emerged, including the rebels from Baghuset in Nørrebro. Stalke quickly seized the hottest names of the 1990s. But the gap between the refined Bredgade and the underground grew increasingly apparent. The biggest star in the gallery today is undoubtedly Olafur Eliasson. He practically grew up at Stalke. But many other young, significant artists have been seen and are still seen under the “Stalke Out of Spaces” banner. A few name-drops: Per Bak Jensen, Kristian Hornsleth, Peter Røssel, Eske Kath, Per Traasdahl—and many others. Numerous other great artists have also been connected to Stalke, such as Niels Erik Gjerdevik and several new talents from the art academy.

Me and My Concept

Creating and exhibiting art became, throughout the 1990s, more and more intertwined. A conceptual self-awareness went hand in hand with practice-oriented strategies. Art broke its boundaries in more than one sense. Baghuset, Globe, Max Mundus, Saga Basement, North, Køernes Kontor, and OTTO were some of the focal points.

The Mark of the New
Stalke Out of Space was part of the same wave. With very famous, moderately known, and lesser-known artists, they helped pave new paths. Lawrence Weiner, Joseph Kosuth, and William Anastasi were among the prominent names that passed through the gallery without a central focus throughout the 1990s. The original venue, which started as just an administrative office in the back room of a video store, was transformed into an open and flexible space, where projects evolved from one to the next. Each project was given its own number to signal that an overarching continuity was present and that there was a plan. The focus was less on traditional paintings and sculptures (though Stalke possesses one of the country’s largest graphic art collections) and more on conceptual installations that challenged the audience in entirely new ways. At Stalke Out of Space, it is difficult to simply remain a passive viewer—you are mentally engaged and invited to participate.

In Sweden
At the Stockholm Art Fair, which is typically a rather dull affair, Sam & Co. created a total installation that broke many of the established rules about how an art fair booth should be set up. Baghuset joined Stalke, setting up what resembled a “youth room” complete with a sofa, desk, filing cabinet, posters, and more—turning the space into a discussion forum rather than a conventional “booth” where eager gallery owners stand ready with smiles and white wine. And things escalated: At Art Forum in Berlin, Frans Jacobi set up a scout tent. And so it has continued, mixing provocation, anarchistic humor, and bold self-irony.

Familiar Paths
However, Stalke has not completely avoided the more traditional paths. In “Stalke Out of Space Number Seven,” they collaborated with grassroots art associations to arrange a traveling exhibition. Later, they made their way to Æglageret in Holbæk and Galleri Brantebjerg. At Æglageret, Jes Brinch hung up his underwear with the printed slogan “Destroy Your Mind” alongside a series of hot dog stand plates, while Lars Bent Petersen exhibited a collection of paper airplanes. A reporter from Holbæk's local newspaper was left bewildered, and matters were not helped when a very composed Sam Jedig explained, “Exhibiting in Holbæk and engaging with an entirely different audience is new for me, and I am very intrigued by the dialogue with the public.”

Stalke Takes Flight
As freedom flies, so do Stalke’s future plans. In this anniversary year, a book documenting the first ten years of turbulent flights is being published.

North veteran Bent Petersen and curator-punk Tine Bundgaard, among others, have contributed texts to the book, explaining, among many things, why contemporary art surged so unpredictably during the 1990s.

A ten-year anniversary exhibition is also in the works, curated by Tine Bundgaard. The exhibition features works by Nikolaj Recke, Morten Schelde, Olafur Eliasson, Eske Kath, and Kirstine Roepstorff. Additionally, a “special exhibition” is part of the package: a collaboration between the gallery and Lone Mertz on an Albert Mertz exhibition at the Icelandic gallery Kampur. Project Stalke is ready for the next ten years of adventure.

By Ole Lindboe