Artist based in Glumsø, Denmark.

Graduated from the royal Danish Academy of fine Arts 1995

Goldsmiths' College, University of London (MA in Fine Arts) 1994.

 

The work of Søren Martinsen is an in-depth, ongoing examination of the landscape in art and its potential to deliver a true and full human experience regardless of the cultural and historical construct of landscape painting.

Inspired by the personal experience of moving from the city to a rural environment, Martinsen creates work that challenges our notion of nature and the “natural”.

The landscape in art is in essence a man-made construction, and yet the emotional response to a painting of a landscape is still very real; A landscape is an integral part of our collective image bank, and the vista of landscape triggers subjective response on a basic psychological level where the viewer projects his or her being into the scene, and Martinsen uses this to full effect in his enigmatic, carefully composed, often huge-scale canvases.

Using landscape as a tool, Martinsen explores the relationship between the artist, the surroundings, the transformative and representational act of painting, and the viewer. His project is not so much to salvage landscape painting from the rubble heap of art history as it is to devise motives and emotions that represents his psychological internality as much as the outside surroundings.

From his 2007 exhibition “Country song” at X-Rummet at the National Art Gallery in Copenhagen onwards, he has made a string of solo shows in galleries and museums, recently adding “Besat Landskab” in 2017 ( Kunsthal Nord, Aalborg) and the major “Giganterne (the Giants)” at Sorø Kunstmuseum in 2018, along with contributions to art in the public realm with several big projects at public buildings.

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Collections

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Sorø Academy

Sorø Art Museum

Ny Carlsberg Fondet

Kobberstiksamlingen

Statens Kunstfond

Statens Museum for Kunst

Aros

Kastrupgårdsamlingen

Gyldendal

Uppsala Konstmuseum

Malmö konstmuseum

Nykredit

Nordea

The Danish municipality of Copenhagen, Næstved, Kolding, Frederikssund a.o.

Trapholt Museum

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Solo shows

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Large scale sculpture, “Felled Tree” commissioned for the harbour boardwalk, city of Næstved, DK, 2022

Menneskespor (Traces of Man), Galerie Møller Witt, Copenhagen DK, 2020

Side View. Politikens Forhal, Copenhagen, DK 2018

The Giants, Sorø Art Museum. DK 2018

View over an area, Vestjyllands Kunstmuseum Janusbygningen, DK 2017

Occupied Landscape, Kunsthal Nord, Aalborg DK 2017

New Landscapes , Martin Asbæk Gallery, DK 2016 The Borderline Syndrome, Sdk, Flensburg, DE 2015

Public artwork commissioned by the municipality of Aarhus, Hedevej, Risskov 2013-14

De Mina, Martin Asbæk Gallery, Copenhagen, DK 2013

The Dane, Trapholt Museum, Kolding, DK 2013

The Dane, Rønnebæksholm, Næstved, DK 2012

Children of the New Age, Overgaden Institute for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK 2010

Field studies, Martin Asbæk Gallery, Copenhagen, DK 2010

Fluoxetine, Galerie Jones, Kiln, DE 2009

Country song, x-rummet, Stations Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, DK 2007

New paintings, Galerie Asbæk, Copenhagen, DK 2006

Broken Mirror, kunsthallen Brænderigården, Viborg, DK 2006

The Roads, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, DK 2004

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Group shows

 

Rarity Gallery Group Show , Greece, 2022

Landschaftsverbot, Galerie Møller Witt, Copenhagen DK, 2022

(curated by Claus Carstensen)

A ma fenetre, Lukoff Gallery, Bruxelles 2022

Grønningen, Den Frie, Copenhagen DK 2021

Grønningen, Den Frie, Copenhagen DK 2020

Frejas Hall, Skovhuset , Værløse DK, 2021

The flower project, Galerie Møller Witt, Copenhagen, DK, 2019

NATURE- home and workplace, Johannes Larsen Museet & Ljungbergmuseet (SE)

Nuuk Art museum, (G) 2018 – 20

Grønningen, Gl. Strand Kunsthal, 2019

Grønningen, Den Frie, 2017

Accesso Galerie, Italy, 2017. Unknown Landscape

(North Coast Art Triennial NCAT), Munkeruphus, Gilleleje, DK. 2016

Bring in nature Faaborg Museum, DK, 2015

Reality (inside), Vestjyllands Kunstpavillon, DK 2015

Raringer, Bomullsfabriken kunsthal, Arendal, Norge 2015

U.T. (Landskab 2015), galleri Tom Christoffersen, Copenhagen 2015 Playgrounds, Galerie Leger, Malmö, SE 2013

VIDEO, martin Asbæk Gallery, Copenhagen, DK 2013

Fototriennale.dk, fotomuseet brandts klædefabrik, Odense, DK2012

Out of focus, (Ude af fokus), Ny Holstebro Kunstmuseum, Holstebro, DK 2012

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Grants

Foreningen Dansk Kunst Hæderslegat/Danish Art association honorary grant

Anhui By the Peach Blossom Pool international residency, China 2017

The Academy Council's Eckersberg medal 2014 Aage & Yelva Nimbs fond honorary grant, 2012 National Art Foundation's 3-year stipend 2011 Ruth og Finn Thorjussens Fond, honorary grant 2009 National Art foundation's working grant, 2006, 2007

 

 

Currently member of the directory board of the Artists' Union, the directory board of Kunsthal Den Frie Udstillingsbygning. Art critic and columnist for kunsten.nu