Ovartaci touring Europe

On Friday 4th February 2011 a touring exhibition of works by the artist and patient Ovartaci was opened at the Museum Dr. Guislain in Ghent, Belgium.

At the same time the Museum Ovartaci published a catalogue entitled "Ovartaci", which will accompany the works to "Het Dolhuys" in Haarlem, the Netherlands’ National Museum of Psychiatry. Here the exhibition will be open from July 1st, till September 11th 2011 After a stay at the Museum Ovartaci from the 24th September 2011 until March 2012, the exhibition continues its tour to one of Europe's most important collections of Outsider Art, or L'Art Brut; Prinzhorn Sammlung in Heidelberg. Who knows, maybe the journey will be prolonged. Interest from abroad in Ovartaci’s art is steadily rising a quarter of a century after his death

Connecting the European Mind

The touring exhibition has been realized within the framework of collaboration between those institutions mentioned and others. The cooperation, called: "Connecting the European Mind", is a part of the European Cultural Program. The program has as its main purpose to support an examination of a common European cultural identity by supporting cross border initiatives.

Ovartaci in distinguished company

In Gent, the Danish Embassy in Brussels hosted a large event at the opening of the Ovartaci exhibition, and the Danish ambassador made one of the opening addresses. Lundbeck “Psyc Art” also contributed to the event and co-financed the catalogue.

In Haarlem at "Het Dolhuys", the Danish Embassy in the Netherlands will host a similar event in connection with the exhibition opening on 9 July, 2011.

The European touring exhibition and Ovartacis journey in Europe is a late response to the invitation and request that the artist Asger Jorn, gave Ovartaci, in the 1960s, to come with him to Paris. Asger Jorn was backed by his collegue Jean Dubuffet in stating that in Paris Ovartaci in one day could become a millionaire from his art.

At the same time the touring exhibition is an important stage on a new journey for Museum Ovartaci and the Museum's unique collection of over 500 works of this exceptional artist.

The new publication, “Ovartaci” which accompanies the exhibition around Europe, includes both a newly written, detailed introduction to Ovartaci’s life, and entirely new approaches to themes and the variety of work in his extensive oeuvre. The authors are Mia Lejsted and Eddie Danielsen. “Ovartaci” can be purchased at the Museum Ovartaci or at bookshops.