With the opening of the new Danish Cultural Institute, Denmark gets a permanent platform in India for collaborations on culture, art and research. The purpose of the Institute is to strengthen the cultural ties between Denmark and India, which can attribute to the development of new ideas benefitting both the countries.Camilla Mordhorst, CEO of Danish Cultural Institute says, “India is one of the most important countries of the world. It is a country with deep cultural traditions and the Indian scene for art, culture and knowledge is uniquely dynamic and vibrant. This is why; we are very enthusiastic about finally opening a Danish Cultural Institute in New Delhi.”Since 2012, Danish Cultural Institute has had a dream of having a presence in India, which plays an increasing larger role globally. India is going through some of the biggest changes concerning urbanization, technology and resources, but also culturally and in respect to lifestyles, all of which will influence the future.Speaking on the occasion Thomas Sehested, Director of Danish Cultural Institute in India states, “The Danish Cultural Institute in India will work to create new partnerships, new collaborations between our two countries. We are excited to be here. India is such a huge source for inspiration when it comes to culture and we look forward to long lasting partnerships between our people - also in the field of cultural exchange”.
India’s role in the world, and in the development of solutions for global challenges, is increasing. Even though India and Denmark are different in both size, geography, natural resources and historical experience, we have a strong set of shared values. We believe in democracy as bedrock for society, equal rights are an integrated part of our agendas and we have a thoroughly social outlook governing our actions; we are concerned about the many, not just the chosen few. This means that we have a unique platform for addressing some of the challenges that we share. There is a good potential for cooperation on both culture and research, and we will work to further this potential in regards to areas such as resources, society and nature, including water.Danish Cultural Institute in India has become a reality thanks to a donation from the Carlsberg Foundation.The Cultural Institute is based in the southern part of New Delhi and will from here act in other parts of India, where we see strong local centers for culture and knowledge, which could be relevant for the interplay between Danish and Indian experiences.Danish Prime Minister, Mr. Lars Løkke Rasmussen inaugurated the Danish Cultural Institute on Saturday, January 19, 2019, with attendance of Chairman of the Carlsberg Foundation Flemming Besenbacher together with Danish and Indian representatives within culture, art and research.
Opening program:
For the opening in New Delhi, the Cultural Institute invited Danish artists who are already engaged in Indian culture and society.
- Author Leonora Christina Skov is a strong voice in the Danish debates about gender and identity. Several residencies in southern India has given her an appreciable affection for the country, which she will tell about.
- Rapper Alowala a.k.a. Shivani Ahlowalia lives in Denmark, but has her largest following in India. At the opening she will make clear, why this is the case.The art installation
- A Beautiful Act of Patriotism by the artist duo Hesselholt & Meilvang, is displayed in the house. Through their work, the duo pose open questions about symbols and structures, inviting to reflection and dialogue.
- Artist Malene Bach has created the decoration for the walls of Avasara Academy in Pune. In cooperation with Indian company Case Design she uncovers knowledge about the use of traditional local pigments through the process of this architecture project.
- Designers Janne Meier and Tushar Bhartiya has established a design studio for handmade embroidery in New Delhi. They will show examples of their designs and how the embroidery is created.
The agreement to open a Cultural Institute in India was settled in April 2018, at Prime Ministers Narendra Modi’s and Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s conversation during the Nordic-Indian Summit in Stockholm. Danish Cultural Institute in India will be the second of its kind in Asia, since the opening of an institute in Beijing, in 2005.The new institute in New Delhi draws on a sound network, established since 2012 through the Danish-Indian culture project “India Today – Copenhagen Tomorrow”. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone in the house in New Delhi.