William Anastasi’s print production in Denmark represents a truly exceptional chapter in both his own artistic practice and in Danish art history. A total of 110 different editions have been printed since 1988, divided between Edition Copenhagen and the workshop of Niels Borch Jensen. This extensive and long-term engagement with printmaking in Denmark is remarkable not only for its scale but also for the conceptual and artistic depth that characterizes each work.

The initiative was taken by Sam Jedig of Stalke Galleri, who invited Anastasi to Denmark in 1988 to create lithographs for a mid-career exhibition at the gallery. That visit led to a fruitful collaboration between the artist, the gallerist, and the printmakers—one that would unfold over more than three decades. Although Anastasi rarely engaged with print media, he was convinced in this case—particularly by the opportunity to work with Niels Borch Jensen, whose technical skill and experimental approach matched Anastasi’s own conceptual vision.

Over the years, the collaboration has resulted in a wide range of works, from photogravures and text-based prints to intaglio series layered with meaning and material complexity. Many of the prints directly reference Anastasi’s earlier installations and performances, yet they gain a renewed presence through the print medium. It is a unique trajectory in which an American pioneer of conceptual art has chosen Denmark as the site for an ongoing printmaking practice—driven by mutual respect, sustained dialogue, and artistic experimentation.

SELFPORTRAIT, 2005 - Photogravure, 58x38 cm, edition 26

William Anastasi, Edition Copenhagen, 2005, Stalke photo Archive

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