The Artists’ Autumn Exhibition (KE) provides a framework for new explorations of what contemporary art is and can be. This year, KE has received 493 applications containing far more than 2000 works of art. Throughout the years, many artists have had their debut at KE, and today KE is one of the only recurrent juried exhibitions in the Danish art scene. The significant feature of the juried exhibition is its uncompromisingly democratic format where matters such as having the right CV and connections, educational level, age, and gender have no influence on which artworks make the cut.
This year, the jury consists of artists Anna Bjerger, Kirsten Justesen, Eske Rex, Andreas Emenius, and headmaster of The Jutland Art Academy, Judith Schwarzbart. Naturally, the selection conducted by the jury is a determining factor in shaping the annual exhibition. An art exhibition such as KE therefore reflects both what is happening in the Danish art scene right now, and what this year’s jury considers artistically interesting.
For more than a hundred years, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art has, with very few exceptions, hosted the annual juried exhibition The Artists’ Autumn Exhibition. The Artists’ Autumn Exhibition was established in the year 1900 as an alternate platform to Charlottenborg’s Spring Exhibition. Today, KE functions no longer as an alternative, but is a great opportunity for up-and-coming artists in and of itself.