1989: Changing Europe? Contemporary History as Cultural Heritage task for the Art Museums
A new research project on “the Long 1989” and cultural exchanges in the Nordic-Baltic region
The project will investigate the art field during the phase of system change, understood as the Long 1989, ca 1985-1996, and provide opportunities for art museums to work with contemporary history. The focus is on contacts between Denmark/the Nordic countries and (East)Germany, Poland and the Baltic states with the following main research questions and objectives:
- Which developments conditioned the system change in 1989, and how did historical, cultural and artistic factors interact?
- Which artist-driven initiatives and contacts had a particular significance, and how did they relate to the official policy in the respective societies?
- How did the official cultural-diplomatic exchanges between Denmark and the state-socialist countries proceed before, during, and after 1989?
- How did collection work and museum exchanges unfold during the European 1989, and what traces have this left on the institutions today?
- What methods of contemporary history can art history and the art institutions develop through the relevant historical case?
- How can experiences with cultural exchange in times of crisis help institutions today?
This will contribute to drawing a cultural history for the long 1989 in the visual arts as a transnational art history, which illuminates the many exchanges and changes and discusses their significance – both in the historical present and for European cultural conditions today. Danish and foreign museums are offered targeted workshops with a focus on tools, collection work and exchange, and the project includes a partnership with Malmö Konstmuseum, where, in collaboration with a scientific assistant, an exploration is carried out as a model for collection work that can lead to new exhibitions. Finally, the project seeks to contribute to cultural exchange and diplomacy today through expert meetings, debates and a guide for the cultural institutions.
Friends in Need. Denmark-Lithuania 2026, exhibition at the National Library of Lithuania in Vilnius
Kristian Handberg contributed to the research for the exhibition and participated in a panel discussion at the closing event with, among others, Ambassador Grethe Sillasen and former Foreign Minister Algirdas Saudargas.
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“My Time as a Pilot: Danish–Lithuanian Artistic Connections, 1991–2026”
On 19 June 2026, Kristian Handberg moderated a panel discussion at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania in Vilnius.
Participants:
- Peter Stuhr, Danish artist and organiser of the 1991 Danish–Baltic exhibition
- Jonas Gasiūnas, Lithuanian artist and participant in the 1991 Danish–Baltic exhibition
- Vygantas Paukštė, Lithuanian artist and participant in the 1991 Danish–Baltic exhibition
- Šarūnas Pilka, former gallerist of the “Arka” gallery in Vilnius
- Mindaugas Šnipas, sculptor, associate professor at Vilnius Academy of Arts
Introduction by Ilona Strumickienė (Head of the Statehood Centre of the National Library) on Friends in Need and A Year with Denmark projects.
Researchers
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handberg, Kristian | Assistant Professor | +4535334869 |
Funding
Project period: 2025-2028
PI: Kristian Handberg