Image: Hanne Darboven, Hamburg
Den Frie Udstillingsbygning in Copenhagen will open the group exhibition 'Nervetråde' (Nerve Fibers) to the public on 12 September 2026, bringing together Danish and international artists whose work addresses the grotesque, anxiety and uncertainty in contemporary life. An opening reception is held the evening before, on Friday 11 September from 5pm to 9pm. The exhibition will remain on view through 1 November 2026 and will include painting, sculpture, video, installation, performance, text and drawing.
Curated by Magnus Thorø Clausen and Sif Lindblad, 'Nervetråde' draws a connection between the nervous atmosphere found in literature around the turn of the 20th century—the period when Den Frie was founded—and the frayed nerves of the present. The institution describes the period as marked, like today, by polarisation and an unpredictable future, and says the exhibition draws particularly on a grotesque strain in Danish literature, a form of so-called “weird fiction” only recently rediscovered. The works are structured around apparently incompatible qualities, including the comic and the frightening, and the rational and the absurd.
The participating artists are Kai Althoff, Lutz Bacher, Meriem Bennani and Orian Barki, Adam Christensen, Hanne Darboven, Julie Falk, Karen Kilimnik, Ville Laurinkoski, Adam Linder, Senga Nengudi, Rolf Nowotny, Samara Sallam, Agnes Scherer, Sara Sjölin, spellchestra, Martine Syms, Alma Toaspern, Roland Topor, Peter Wächtler and Sofie Winther. The works are presented as varied responses to feelings of unease and instability, with the exhibition spanning established and emerging practices across multiple media.
Hanne Darboven is represented by a detail from 'Kalenderbuch 92 / Calendar Book 92' (1992), according to the exhibition invitation. The work is credited to the Hanne Darboven Stiftung in Hamburg and is presented courtesy of the artist and Sprüth Magers. Darboven’s inclusion places her text- and systems-based practice within an exhibition that also encompasses performance, moving image and sculptural approaches to the grotesque.
A performance programme will run alongside the exhibition as part of the performance platform Toaster. On 24 September, Adam Linder will present 'Mothering The Tongue' (2023/2026), alongside Adam Christensen’s 'A Vampire Kiss' (2026), from 5pm to 9pm. On 1 October, from 6pm to 9pm, Sara Sjölin will present 'New work' (2026), with spellchestra presenting 'Marketplace' (2026).
The programme will continue on 22 October from 6pm to 9pm, with Sofie Winther’s 'Outlet' (2026) and Alma Toaspern’s 'Plex' (2025/2026). The performances are described as involving dance, music and language, extending the exhibition’s investigation of familiar categories and conventions. 'Nervetråde' is supported by Det Obelske Familiefond, Augustinus Fonden, Statens Kunstfond, Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond, Dansk Tennis Fond and Ny Carlsbergfondet, and will be on view at Den Frie until 1 November 2026.
