Oliver Wiant Rømer Holme
PhD fellow
Department of Arts and Cultural Studies
Karen Blixens Vej 1
2300 København S
My PhD project reconsiders the art historical perception of the so-called social art current of the interwar period in Denmark. By
framing social art as a revolutionary modernist impulse, the project challenges
established art historical narratives of modernism, which has
historically favored Surrealism, abstraction, and artists associated
with cultural radicalism.
Artistic production of the period emerged during the volatile
political climate of the interwar years. Works by artists
such as Aksel Jørgensen, Marlie Brande and Anton Hansen were
commonly reproduced and used as illustrations in artistic and
political journals during the 1920s and 1930s. Despite their internal
disagreements, the editorial boards of Marxist and cultural radical
journals were united through their antifascist stance. This resistance
was nonetheless disjointed when it came to political and artistic
strategy. The project outlines these strategies to analyze how they
were manifested in works of social art. Finally, the project addresses
the reason why social art has not received larger art historical
attention and recognition in Denmark and in Europe in general.
The project is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation
ID: 365539048