An icon in the art world and a pioneer within abstract painting. Through more than 80 paintings and works on paper, the upcoming exhibition will highlight the development of Richard Mortensen's (1910-1993) multifaceted artistic oeuvre. Furthermore, it will accentuate his position on the Parisian art scene and his indirect and subtle insistence on bringing forth important political issues throughout his lifetime. 

The exhibition is the first major retrospective Mortensen exhibition in 30 years and emphasizes his continued relevance today.  

"As part of ARoS’ mission to shine the spotlight on important Danish artists, we now salute Richard Mortensen, one of Denmark’s most iconic and influential artists. This landmark exhibition explores his entire oeuvre and re-examines his contribution to the international concrete abstraction movement,” says Museum Director Rebecca Matthews. 

Key representative of geometric abstract art  

Richard Mortensen is one of the most important Danish artists of the 20th century. Mortensen played a dominant role in establishing the Surrealist movement in Denmark, and after World War II he lived in Paris, where he was one of the most prominent advocates of concrete abstract art.  

Mortensen was a pioneer concerned with inventing a strict yet playful idiom with the refinement of form, surface, space, colour, point and line.  

"Through ARoS's significant collection of Richard Mortensen's works and through loans of important works from other Danish museums and private collectors, we are now able to offer visitors the opportunity to delve into Mortensen's impressive career and artistic development, his groundbreaking international significance and his strong belief in the social potential of art," says ARoS curator Victoria Marie Christiansen.  

Mortensen's body of work is vast and significant, not only in terms of its scope but also because of the dynamic role he played in the art scene of his time, where he continuously presented the latest international trends to a Danish audience. This was reflected in his work as a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, where he was employed from 1964-1980. 

Richard Mortensen - Between Lines is on view at ARoS from 23 March 2024 to 1 September 2024. 

The exhibition is realized with generous support from Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond, Dronning Margrethe og Prins Henriks Fond Hoffmann,  Husmans Fond Frimodt-Heineke Fonden, and Arne V. Schleschs Fond.