A record 226,000 guests visited the Danish Architecture Center in 2022 – around 12 percent more than the previous record year in 2019 and 60 percent more than last year.
The year started with a 17-day shutdown due to COVID-19, but that didn’t stop the DAC from pulling them in thanks to exhibits like ‘A Space Saga’ (see image).
Public awareness is growing rapidly
Since occupying its new home in the BLOX building on the waterfront at Langebro in 2018, visitor numbers have quadrupled and public awareness of DAC has grown from 54 to 73 percent.
And it will only get better in 2023, for which Copenhagen has been named world capital of architecture.
The Queen removes patronage of the HC Andersen award
The Danish branch of the International Council for Books for Young People (IBBY), which awards prestigious HC Andersen awards every two years to authors and illustrators of children’s books, has decided not to officially oppose the appointment of a Russian as chairman of the council. Nevertheless, Queen Margrethe has withdrawn her patronage, which she had had since 1992. Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Baltic countries and several others have all signed a letter protesting the election of Anastasia Arkhipova in September. She will preside over the jury that selects the 2024 winners. Since its creation, Denmark has won three prizes: author Cecil Bødker in 1976 and illustrators Ib Spang Olsen and Svend Otto S in 1972 and 1978.
Tributes pour in for feminist icon
In the wake of ‘Matador’ creator Lise Nørgaard’s death on 1 January, the Danish media has been flooded with tributes, with many choosing to pay tribute to the way she champions women’s rights. According to MediaCatch, female characters tend to hold the screen for 44.5 percent of the 24-episode show, compared to the industry average of 30 percent. MediaCatch used AI, algorithms and machine learning to analyze each episode. “Much of what she writes is about herself, and about the expectations placed on you as a woman when you have dreams and expectations that do not quite match what society expects of you,” says historian Cecilie Nielsen to DR. “She becomes a feminist icon through her work because she breaks so many glass ceilings and becomes the first female career journalist – one that everyone knows.”
From Matador’s mother to Margrethe II, being a historian is hard work
Historian Cecilie Nielsen (see the story above) was also in demand for the Queen’s speech on 31 December, which the monarch traditionally gives at 18.00 before all the festivities start. Queen Margrethe made a point of mentioning the “difficulties” she has encountered in her relationship with her son Prince Joachim after she chose to withdraw HRH titles from all four of his children in the autumn. It officially became January 1. “I was surprised at how specific she was,” says Nielsen to DR. “She specifically mentioned the crisis with Joachim and Marie and put it out in the open. Not in the general terms and terms that I expected.”
One of Italy’s best DJs is in the house!
Electro house pioneer DJ Benny Benassi will perform a one-off show at Stagebox on Refshalevej in Copenhagen on March 11. Visit this one link for tickets to see the Italian maestro.
A cool tale for your long winter evenings? Playmate has the perfect package
Playmate Theater Malmö recently became the latest English-speaking theater group in the region to produce a short audio play – the first in a series. Voiced by Jakob Hulten and Vanessa Poole, the chilling eight-minute thriller ’10 Abbey Court’ is the work of playwright Cheryl Barrett. It is tantalizingly about “what happens when an agreement with the estate agent takes an unexpected turn”. Click on this link to listen.
Source: The Nordic Page