Gammel Strand, Copenhagen
30 January - 04 May 2025
Children are more present than ever – in families, in public debates, and in the discussion between generations. However, the view of children and their position in society has changed significantly in recent decades, and there is a long distance from the "free flower children" of the hippie era and the 1980s’ Christiane F. to Greta Thunberg's "School Strike for Climate."
Under the title Just Kids, Gammel Strand launches its exhibition year with an experimental, generational perspective on children in visual art. Featuring the child as both a motif and a theme, Just Kids explores how perceptions of children have evolved over time and reveals how childhood, creativity, and innovation have been intricately tied to the very myth of the artist.
The exhibiting artists include Danish and international names such as Lene Adler Petersen (DK, b. 1944), Paul McCarthy (US, b. 1945), Esben Weile Kjær (DK, b. 1992), Ursula Reuter Christiansen (DE/DK, b. 1943), Signe Frederiksen (DK, b. 1987), Sidsel Meineche Hansen (DK, b. 1981), Pernille Clausen (DK, b. 1945), and Pope.L (US, b. 1955).
The title and ethos of the exhibition are drawn from Patti Smith's autobiographical novel Just Kids, which maps out artist myths and creativity in 1960s New York.