Esben Weile Kjær
Work inquiryAbout the artist
Esben Weile Kjær (b. 1992 in Aarhus, Denmark) lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark. Esben Weile Kjær’s work spans sculpture and performance, drawing onthe history of pop culture to investigate themes of nostalgia, authenticityand generational anxiety. In his performances, installations and sculptures, he examines identity among his own generation and explores the role of popular culture and technology in shaping experiences of community and freedom. In 2020, Esben Weile Kjær held solo exhibitions in Denmark atKunstforeningen Gl. Strand and Copenhagen Contemporary. In 2023, he curated the exhibition BUTTERFLY! at Arken Museum of Contemporary Art, which primarily consisted of works from the museum’s own collection staged in an immersive scenography. In 2024, his largest solo exhibition to date, Solar System, opened at Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg.
Esben Weile Kjær has previously staged performances at institutions such as Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, the National Gallery of Denmark, and Overgaden (all in Copenhagen), as well as internationally at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, MMCA in South Korea, mumok in Vienna, Berghain in Berlin, Museum Tinguely in Basel, and Museum der Moderne in Salzburg.
In 2022, Esben Weile Kjær was awarded the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Talent Award, and in 2023 he received the Aage and Yelva Nimb Foundation’s honorary grant. His works can be found in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Denmark, Kunsten, Malmö Art Museum, Brandts Museum, Arken, the Danish Arts Foundation and theNew Carlsberg Foundation.
His work has been widely covered by international media including Alt, DR, Heartbeats, PwMagazine, Politiken, Berlingske, Kunstkritikk, Artnet, Wallpaper, Vogue and Spike Art Magazine.
Education
2016-2022
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts - Schools of visual arts,
2021-2022
Städelschule, Fine Art, Frankfurt am Main
2012-2015
The Danish Rhythmic Music Conservatory - Music Management ,
Collections
Arken Museum of Contemporary Art, DK
Brandts Museum of Modern Art, DK
Malmo Art Museum, SE
Prizes
2022
Carl Nielsen & Anne Marie Carl-Nielsens Foundation Talent Award,
Solo exhibitions
2025
thousands of small explosions at the same time, Salzburger Kunstverein, Salzburg, AT
FLASH!, Rønnebæksholm Kunsthal, Næstved, DK
SHELL, Amant, New York, US
Rainbow Tornado, Rudolph Tegner Museum and Statue Park, Dronningmølle, DK
2024
Mutation Celebration, Andersen's Contemporary, Copenhagen, DK
Solar System, Kunsten - Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg, DK
2023
I WANT TO BELIEVE, Albion Juene and 80 Strand, London, UK
Light Dancer, Inter.pblc, Copenhagen, DK
2022
HYPER!, BFI Miami, Miami, US
Keep it Real, Magic Stop, Lausanne, AT
Complete Collapse, Andersen’s Contemporary, Copenhagen, DK
2021
Anxiety of influence, with Yvette Brackman, Four Boxes, Skive, DK
Hardcore Freedom Revisited, Curated by, Vienna, AT
Letters for Julian Luxford, Kunsthal Aarhus BBC, DK
Letters for Julian Luxford, Art Sonje Center, Seoul, South Korea
Public Drama, Magasin du Nord, Copenhagen, DK
Advertise, Hypnotise, Traumatise, FABRIKKEN for Kunst og Design Afd. AC, Copenhagen, DK
2020
Hardcore Freedom, Copenhagen Contemporary, DK
Power Play, Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, Copenhagen, DK
Campaign, Museum of Contemporary Art, Roskilde, DK
2019
Dance with the devil, Vestjyllands Art Pavilion, DK
2017
Club Gluttony, UB ART, Stockholm, SE
2016
How to Neo-tribe?, Souvinir Official, Berlin, DE
You can’t fake this monument of movement, Politikens Forhal, Copenhagen, DK
Radical Togetherness, Oslo10, Basel, CH
Curatorial work
2023
BUTTERFLY!, Arkens collection curated by Esben Weile Kjær, Arken, Museum of Modern Art, Ishøj, DK
2018
Alt_Cph – Over-existing, with Anna Weile Kjær, FABRIKKEN for Kunst og Design, Copenhagen, Denmark
2017
Institut for Success 2; with Mira Winding, Dina Friemuth, Anna Weile Kjær, Jeppe Ugelvig, Maja Malou Lyse, and Anne Sofie Madsen, SMK – National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen, DK
2016
Institut for Succes 1, Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, Copenhagen, DK
Group exhibitions
2023
Charlottenborg Biennalen, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, DK
Public Announcement, Museum of Contemporary Art, Roskilde, DK
Den Store Springvand Udstilling, Kunsthal 6100, Haderslev, DK
2022
Another Surrealism, Tønder, Museum of Modern Art, Tønder, DK
Jeg står op med jordens mylder, Kunst Ø, Samsø, DK
Another Surrealisme, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK
Move,, Centre Pompidou, Paris, FR
Bang Bang, Museum Tinguely, Basel, CH
Afgang, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, DK
The Clown Kingdom, House of Denmark, Paris, FR
2021
Forever Mall, Shoot The Lobster, Los Angeles, US
MONSTERSUPPE, KØS Museum of Art in Public spaces (MAPS), Køge, DK
2020
Moving Centers, GAS / Frieze Art Fair, Los Angeles, US
Ghosthouse, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK
Wearables, Etage Projects, Copenhagen, DK
2019
Window Shopper, CHART Art Fair, Copenhagen, DK
Mellemting mellem ting, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art , Copenhagen, DK
Tending Towards, Tinos Quarry Platform / Museum of modern queer art - Tinos, Athens, GR
Ulvetime, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, DK
2018
Jugend ist Trunkenheit ohne Wein, Bikini Space, Basel, CH
Kunstnernes Påskeudstilling 2018, Kunsthal Aarhus, DK
2017
NO REGRETS of tomorrows SORROWS, Future Suburban Contemporary, Copenhagen
Anybody, Aarhus 2017, DK
LAST MINUTE BUSINESS, Adult, Copenhagen
2016
SOMEDAY A REAL RAIN WILL COME AND WASH ALL THE SCUM OFF THE STREETS, Nordic Contemporary, Paris, FR
Closest Thing to Wearing Nothing, M.I, Berlin
2015
Mørkekammer, Vandrehallen, Hillerød
Performances
2024
COLLIDER!, Museum der Moderne, Salzburg, AT
2023
BURN!, Mumok, Vienna, AT
DE-ESCALATE , Basel Social Club, Basel, CH
HYPER!, Copenhagen Business School, DK
2022
The Big Gang Bang Theory w Maja Malou Lyse, Art in a day, Copenhagen
COLLIDER, New Carlsberg Foundation, Folkemødet, Bornholm, DK
Night Journeys, Berghain, Berlin, DE
Night Journeys, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK
Sun!, Voo store, Berlin, DE
2021
Departure in affection, Marienlyst Castle, Elsinore, DK
Entertainment Architecture, Aarhus School of Architecture, Aarhus, DK
The Big Gang Bang Theory, with Maja Malou Lyse, Another map to Nevada, Copenhagen’s Waterways, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK
BURN!, Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg, DK
BURN!, Gallery Steinsland Berliner, Stockholm, SE
2020
Pride is temporary, Gegenwart, Hamburg, DE
ALL OVER THE PLACE, with Emma Rosenzweig, UP CLOSE Performance Festival, Det Classenske Bibliotek, the New Carlsberg Foundation, Copenhagen, DK
2019
Have you ever been afraid, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK
Have you ever been afraid, Paris Internationale, Paris, FR
Have you ever been afraid, Athens Museum of Queer Arts, Athens, GR
BURN!, DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation), Copenhagen, DK
BURN!, Copenhagen International Fashion Fair, Copenhagen, DK
BURN!, SMK –National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen, DK
Pride is temporary, Ashley Berlin, Berlin, DE
Pride is temporary, Vestjyllands Kunstpavillon, Videbæk, DK
Born to be wild, HC Andersen Festival, Odense, DK
2018
Sun!, Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, Copenhagen, DK
Sun!, Code Art Fair, Copenhagen, DK
Sun!, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, DK
Sun!, KBH Litteratur Festival, Skive, DK
We built this city, KØS Museum of Art in Public Spaces (MAPS), Køge, DK
We built this city, Axel Arigato, Copenhagen, DK
Who needs guitars anyway, with Anne Sofie Madsen, Blake and Vargas, Berlin, DE
2017
EVIG! with Madeleine Kate McGowan, ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, Aarhus, DK
Level of glamour, with Anne Sofie Madsen, The Italian Embassy,, Copenhagen, DK
Never have i ever, Age of Aquarius, Copenhagen, DK
My heart beats faster than techno, DanseAtelier, Copenhagen, DK
2016
You can’t fake this monument of movement, Copenhagen Contemporary, Copenhagen, DK
How to Neo-tribe?, Tranen Space for Contemporary Art, Hellerup, DK
i wish i was a punkrocker with flowers in my hair, Karlin Studios, Prague, CZ
This could be identification for new subcultures, Overgaden – Institute for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK
This could be identification for new subcultures, M.I, Berlin, DE
ATHEN, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK
2015
Reality, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK
2014
Birthday Bash, Nikolaj Kunsthal, Copenhagen, DK
Film festivals
2021
Industries of freedom, with Freja Sofie Kirk, CPH:DOX, Copenhagen, DK
Industries of freedom, with Freja Sofie Kirk, Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin, FR/DE
Wed-Fri: 10:00 – 17:00
Sat: 11:00 – 15:00
Sun-Tue: Closed