The creative workshops of Museum Ovartaci – Frirummet – will now be reunited with the Museum. For almost a year, the users of the Frirummet have been waiting for their new rooms at Olof Palmes Allé to be completed, and on 14 November the rooms will finally be ready to offer a framework for the users’ everyday life and the many creative endeavours and activities that happen in the Frirummet.

Saturday, 26 November 2022 will be the last chance to experience ‘Ovartaci in Venice’. Since May, the exhibition has attracted many interested visitors to the new location of the Museum at Olof Palmes Allé. ‘Ovartaci in Venice’ is a parallel exhibition to Ovartaci’s participation in the main exhibition of the Venice Biennial. The exhibition is open to the public on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 13-17, and admission is free. Read more about the exhibition on the Museum’s website.

Your last chance to join us in Venice is on Saturday, 26 November 2022 when the Museum’s Guide will introduce the special exhibition ‘Ovartaci in Venice’ for the last time. On 26 November the Museum offers two guided tours of the special exhibition, and the Guide will explain about Venice, the Biennial and Ovartaci.

The tours will start at 13:30 and 15:00.

A ticket will cost DKK 50 per person (paid on the day). Registration by text message to 4185 4583 or by mail to anne-mette@ovartaci.dk. Please indicate which of the tours you would like to join.

On 11 October the Museum had organised the event ‘Med åbne øjne / Ad occhi aperti’. Supported financially by the Italian Cultural Institute in Copenhagen the Neapolitan artist Rosy Rox (* 1976) had developed her performance. The inspiration for her performance was a visit to the current Ovartaci-exhibition at the Venice Biennial 2022. The performance was curated by Adriana Rispoli, also from Naples and the coordinator of the public programme of the Italian pavilion at the Venice Biennial.

The entire audience was spellbound by the intensive performance which referred to four metaphors. The four ‘metaphors’ (a poem by Antonia Pozzi, a cage, a chair and a Sphinx) were installed as ceramic objects on the floor and formed the framework of the performance accompanied by a sound installation by Renato Esposito. After about thirty minutes’ deeply impressive performative expressions, Rosy Rox made the performance culminate in the “Sphinx’ – the fourth Ovartaci metaphor after which the artist ended the performance with gentle gestures and broke through the crowd of spectators and left the room.

You may have asked yourself in passing which our POPupOvartaci – located between the main entrance of the Hospital and the railway station – has not reopened?

The answer is: POPupOvartaci will be moved!

It will be located at the south-western part of the Storbylandsbyen II, located close to the Museum between Halmstadgade and the Supercykelstien. The planning and preparation of the move is in progress, and we are optimistic and hope that it will be possible to have exciting projects in our POPupOvartaci from the summer of 2023. We are very much looking forward to it.

Museum Ovartaci now has a cooperation with Space. Space is an offer to young people between 18-29 who need help to adjust to a new everyday life and a good life with a mental diagnosis. Over a period of 3-6 months, the young person is attached to Space for the number of hours per week that matches the individual’s challenges. Space is located at Kulturhus Bunkeren, and among the activities on offer are: creative activities in the workshops of Museum Ovartaci, communal readings, writing workshops, communal meals and many other activities. Space is supported financially by the Lind Foundation and attached to psychiatry and the job centre. For more information please contact Helene Højbjerg Loft by phone on 2479 2931 or by mail: LHHE@aarhus.dk

The Business and Culture Forum Aarhus is a cooperation involving businesses, cultural life and the Municipality of Aarhus. Its function is to be a catalyst for activities and actual cross-functional cooperations involving the three parties.

On 25 October the Museum participated in the EFKA-meeting at Kulturhus Bunkeren where approximately 90 participants had signed up. One of the highlights of the event was the speech of Ms Maria Krüger Torp, head of Tourism and Experience Economy of Dansk Industri. She stressed very clearly that culture is an integrated part of our economic system. During the pandemic it became very clear how important culture is for all citizens in our society, something the Danish economy benefits from in the long run. Ms Krüger Torp supports an innovative, cross-sectorial cooperation between business and culture: They stimulate each other in new ways and often create solutions that will fit future problems and challenges.

Museum Ovartaci needs YOU!

The members of Museum Ovartacis Venner (the Friends of Museum Ovartaci) contribute to securing the continued existence of the Museum and its important work of making a difference to others by removing prejudice and creating an understanding of mental illness through art and the history of art.

As a member of the Friends of Museum Ovartaci you will get special and favourable benefits. You will be invited to events, openings of exhibitions, pre-views, special events for friends and a specially reduced price for selected events.

Membership costs DKK 225 per year.