Monday, December 1st, 5-7pm: Presentation, Discussion, and Guided Tour
Ungdommens Demokratihus
Slagterhusgade 10a, 1715 Copenhagen
UKK is pleased to invite you to the public event Rent Free Studios: A Model for Artistic Infrastructure hosted by UKK’s Art and Economics Working Group and Atelierfælleskabet H11 (H11). The event will feature Scott William Raby (former UKK chair), Lawrence Ebelle (UKK chair), and Morten Poulsen (H11 co-founder).
In Rent Free Studios: A Model for Artistic Infrastructure, UKK and H11 will unfold the process that led to the implementation of the studio’s new economic agreement, host a discussion on its broader implications, and invite for a guided tour of H11’s premises. The event is inspired by H11’s unique collaboration with Copenhagen Municipality. In late 2024, they joined to create a new artistic infrastructure consisting of 15 rent free studios, public programming, and a subsidized annual budget for the H11 association.
This agreement comes at an important time for the Danish art sector. Visual artists are statistically one of the poorest economic groups in Denmark (Bille, 2018), and many artists don’t have access to the infrastructural support they need. A 2021 report revealed as many as 3 out of 4 artists are considering leaving Copenhagen due to high costs. Despite these challenges, new data also suggests the overall economic output of art and culture in Denmark is becoming increasingly significant (now exceeding that of the Danish agricultural sector). Research also shows art produces many socio-cultural, wellness, and democratic values across broader society.
As such, the rent free, subsidized studio model that H11 and Copenhagen Municipality have negotiated is significant as it works to alleviate artists’ economic burden while providing greater access to necessary infrastructure. UKK has been highlighting artists’ infrastructural and spatial needs for many years as well as promoting solutions that address the structural precarity artists face. In this event UKK and H11 ask important questions: how did this model come about and how can it continue? How can it be further expanded in Copenhagen as well as other municipalities? How can municipally subsidized artistic infrastructure have a broader impact as part of “right to the city” and commoning practices across the built environment?
Bios:
Scott William Raby (US/DK) (he/him) is an artist, art organizer, and former chair of UKK who is also a part of UKK’s Art and Economics Working Group. His art practice often deals with rethinking economic, organisational, and legal infrastructures within artistic and broader societal contexts. He currently lives in Aalborg and works collaboratively across different artistic platforms and organizations, including f.eks., which he co-founded in 2018.
Lawrence Ebelle (FR/US) (she/her) is a curator, art organizer, and architect based in Copenhagen. Her visual cultural practice encompasses different social-political and spatial questions across exhibition contexts and the built environment. She is a board member of Building Diversity, The Danish Architects Association, and chair of UKK, where she is a co-founder of UKK’s new Art and Economy Working Group.
Morten Poulsen (DK) (he/him) is an artist, researcher and art worker based in Copenhagen. His artistic work has been presented across art venues such as The Engine Room (London, UK), Kunsthal Aarhus (DK), and SixtyEight Art Gallery (CPH, DK). His research has been presented at Trans+ Virtual Center of Excellence (London, UK), PARSE (Gothenburg, SE) and Seismograf (CPH, DK). Morten is educated at The International Center for Knowledge in the Arts (CPH, 2022) and the Rhythmic Music Conservatory (CPH, 2021).
*This event is free of admission – no sign up is required. The event will start and end at Ungdoms Demokratihus, with a brief tour of H11 studios (a 150M walk). Complimentary Snacks and Drinks will be served. The event will be in English. Ungdommens Demokratihus is wheelchair accessible.
UKK would like to thank Ungdomsdemokratihus and H11 for venue support.
This event is generously supported by H11 and Københavns Kommune.
Links:
https://ukk.dk/en