Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/01/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Dear all, I feel lonely and inspired tonight--my wife is still in the U.S. with the children, so the house feels strangely empty until they return on Saturday--so I thought I'd share some photo-related experiences from my recent holiday in my beloved Denmark. Besides taking pictures, I set out to explore the photo galleries, exhibits and dealers a bit, and in the process I made a few discoveries which may be of interest to some of you if you happen to visit there. Galleries/exhibits: In Copenhagen itself, the best bet is to check what is going on at the Lousiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, about 30 km north of the city. It is a beautiful facility and the drive to get there is wonderful as well if you follow the coastal road. It is also accessible by the local trains (S-tog) from Copenhagen. The museum has a permanent collection of paintings and sculptures, and they also specialise in hosting the big blockbuster exhibits. I saw the controversial Mapplethorpe exhibit there a few years ago, and HCB's "Des Europeens" is going to be shown there from February through June. The museum also has an extremely well-stocked bookshop. In Odense (Hans Christian Andersen's birthplace) you will find Denmark's main photography museum/gallery, Museet for Fotokunst. It is located in Brandts Klædefabrik in the centre of the city; it is an old factory which has been converted to an art centre. There is a permanent collection and exhibits. I went there to see the "Us and Them" exhibit by Helmut Newton and Alice Springs, one of the best shows I have ever seen. Odense is about 150 km from Copenhagen, now quite accessible as a bridge has been built across the Belt, eliminating the need to take a ferry. The bridge itself is very impressive, 19 km long and quite photogenic. Definitely worth the trip. The museum also has a shop, but it is not as well stocked as the one in Lousiana. Fotografisk Center, København is a gallery in central Copenhagen (Gl. Strand 48) which hosts a lot of interesting exhibits of the work of Danish photographers. They also have a good bookshop. Unfortunately they were closed for the duration of the holidays so I was unable to visit. Journal: Museet for Fotokunst, described above, also publishes a journal devoted for fine art photography, Katalog. It is a beautiful, large format, 70-odd page publication, mostly in English. It appears 3 times a year. I bought the Fall 98 issue, which has features on Helmut Newton and Alice Springs, and a couple of portfolios, one by the Italian photographer Marco Sanges (tasteful nudes) and one by the Danish photographer Trine Søndergaard, documenting the life of prostitutes in Copenhagen. There is also a comprehensive listing of exhibits in Scandinavia. Subscription outside Denmark is 275 DKK per year (including postage), about $47. You can also check out their web site at http://www.brandts.dk/katalog/ . Leica dealers: Denmark is a small country, so obviously the market for Leica is limited. But there are at least three reasonably well-stocked dealers in Copenhagen. Usually the prices in Denmark are not interesting to people from the US or from the Continent, but sometimes you can find bargains, and certainly it is cheaper than in Sweden or Norway, judging by previous postings on this list. Photografica, Studiestræde (near the main pedestrial street and the old University of Copenhagen campus). Good selection of new and used, but expensive. Web page: http://www.photografica.com/_pho_htm/photografica.htm . Foto C, Holbergsgade (behind the Royal Theatre on Kongens Nytorv, near the end of the pedestrian street). Also good selection of new and used. Photo A/V, Holbergsgade (a bit down the street from Foto C). This one is the best. I traded my 50mm Summilux for a new 50mm Summicron there, and both the price I got for the Summilux and the price I paid for the Summicron were quite reasonable. The guy to talk to is called David, he is the Leica specialist. I hope someone will find this information useful. It would be nice if other LUGgers posted similar "city reports" for places they visit. Nathan - -- Nathan Wajsman Overijse, Belgium Photography page: http://members.tripod.com/~belgiangator/index.html Motorcycle page: http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/1704/index.html