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Museum Odense receives major donation to establish a new center for sculptor Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen

With a significant grant of nearly DKK 7 million, the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Foundation is making it possible to establish a new center dedicated to sculptor Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen as part of Museum Odense. The center, focused on the renowned artist, will foster groundbreaking research, strengthen outreach, and establish international networks. It will be led by Denmark’s foremost Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen researcher, Emilie Boe Bierlich. 

The Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Foundation has already made it possible to showcase Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen’s extensive collection in a new permanent exhibition at TID – Museum for Odense, set to open in June 2025. By supporting the establishment of the Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Center, this grant, in collaboration with Museum Odense, creates an opportunity to advance research on Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen in the coming years with a high level of ambition.

 

The center aims to establish a platform that will enhance the relevance, recognition, and importance of the sculptor and her work – both nationally and internationally – on par with other research centers in Denmark dedicated to figures such as H.C. Andersen, Grundtvig, and Kierkegaard.

The center will be led by Emilie Boe Bierlich, the country’s leading Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen researcher, who curated the major Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen exhibition at Glyptoteket in 2021 and the critically acclaimed exhibition Against All Odds – Historical Women and New Algorithms at the National Gallery of Denmark (SMK). The latter explored networks among Nordic female artists around 1900, using new technology to bridge past, present, and future, with Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen and her works playing a central role.

 

 

The appointment of art historian, Ph.D, Emilie Boe Bierlich who is Denmark’s foremost expert on Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen – as center director has significantly influenced Museum Odense’s decision to establish the center at this time.

Director of Museum Odense Henrik Harnow says:
“We are thrilled about the opportunities the center provides to exhibit, explore, and present Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen’s life and work in new ways. This is a win for Odense and the museum. It enhances the city’s appeal and strengthens the museum’s expertise, which is responsible for the internationally unique collection of the artist’s works. In recent years, Museum Odense has gained experience with large research projects that have resulted in extensive, high-quality publications and public outreach in various formats. The new center will benefit from being under the same roof as our other research center, CENTRUM.”

 

Organizationally, the Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Center will be part of the H.C. Andersen, Carl Nielsen, and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen division, which consists of individual museums that share an academic foundation.

 

Head of Development Mads Thagård Runge says:
“We are excited to welcome Emilie Boe Bierlich to the research environment at Museum Odense. Emilie has all the necessary skills and qualifications to take on the role of center director. She is an experienced researcher, curator, and communicator with key contacts both nationally and internationally. She will be well-equipped to establish collaborations and networks that are crucial to the center’s goals.”

 

Emilie Boe Bierlich will also be one of the two academic experts involved in Museum Odense’s upcoming 400 m² Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen exhibition, opening at TID – Museum for Odense in June 2025. This exhibition has already received support from the Foundation in 2024.

 

Emilie Boe Bierlich says:
“Establishing the research center at Museum Odense is a unique opportunity to anchor Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen research within international partnerships, elevating the field both interdisciplinarily and aesthetically at local, national, and international levels. Through the center, we can create new formats and build lasting collaborations. One major task will be to produce a new, contemporary monographic study on the artist. Additionally, we aim to challenge the notion that sculpture can be dull. The center will enable us to explore and experiment with the relevance of historical material, making it newly significant and engaging a broader cultural audience beyond strictly art historical circles. I look forward to beginning this work and becoming part of the research and outreach environment at Museum Odense.”

 

Facts About Museum Odense:

  • Museum Odense is a state-recognized institution consisting of six museums: H.C. Andersen’s House, H.C. Andersen’s Childhood Home, the Carl Nielsen Museum, Carl Nielsen’s Childhood Home, The Funen Village, and TID – Museum for Odense.
  • Museum Odense is an independent institution with its own board.
  • The museum employs approximately 185 staff members.
  • The research center CENTRUM is an established part of Museum Odense.
  • A major Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen exhibition will open at TID – Museum for Odense in June 2025.

For further information, please contact Head of Communications Malene Birkelund at +45 30329869.