Denmark’s Youth Spring Salon 2021 will take place virtually

Due to the pandemic, Denmark’s largest art exhibition for young creatives between the ages of 13-18 will be held online on 9 March

The Youth Spring Salon (Ungdommens Vårsalong) is Denmark’s largest art exhibition for young artists. While this event generally takes place in the city halls of Aarhus and Copenhagen, the Youth Spring Salon of 2021 will be held online on 9 March at 16:30.

“On the Other Side”

This year, the secondary schools in Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense have collaborated for the exhibition of the Youth Spring Salon. Moreover, the high school in Odense (Odense ungdomsskole) was tasked with choosing this year’s theme: “On the Other Side”.

The website of the Copenhagen Municipality's School reported that the theme will cover the current global situation and the hopes for a brighter future – or “the other side” of the pandemic. In addition to this, young creatives will cover the themes of time, health, community, nature, etc. They will also reflect on several questions including “How do I feel inside?” and “How am I on the outside?”

Odense noted that this theme is an excellent opportunity for artists to experiment with material selection. For example, they suggested turning equipment upside down, using both sides of the works, and exploring three-dimensional spaces or structures.

Everyone between the ages of 13 and 18 can participate in the Youth Spring Salon. People can register either one work per person or as a group of 2-3 people. A panel of artists will then select which works will be included in the March exhibition. Furthermore, a committee will also select 10 artworks from Aarhus, Odense, and Copenhagen to be published in this year’s art book at the end of March.

The benefits of a virtual exhibition

Last year, the Youth Spring Salon art exhibition was meant to take place in March. However, as a result of the pandemic, the event had to be cancelled. Now, the project coordinator for city-wide events in UngiAarhus Tina Gønge told the Municipality of Aarhus that despite the challenges COVID-19 has presented, the exhibition will not be stopped.

Gønge further shared that the virtual setup has the potential to make the art exhibition even better. That is, the accessibility of the exhibition may now encourage more young creatives to participate.