Birthe Kjær, Mekdes and DYNAMO receive this year's appreciation awards

The Danish Artist Union honoured four artists at this year's summer party. Birthe Kjær, Mekdes and DYNAMO received this year's appreciation awards for expanding the boundaries of art in their respective fields. They create new opportunities for others and help shift perceptions of what an artist's life can look like.

By Julie Westh Nielsen

The appreciation awards were presented at the Danish Artist Union's summer party on 3 September. An event that every year brings together artists and industry professionals within music and the performing arts.

Birthe Kjær challenges the notion of artistic age

Birthe Kjær receives this year's appreciation award for an artistic life that demonstrates that development, relevance and new opportunities are not reserved for specific generations.

For nearly six decades she has moved across genres and musical communities while simultaneously bringing together audiences of all ages. Most recently, her debut on the Orange Stage has helped to challenge the notion of when in an artist's life new stages and contexts can open up.

“Talent has no age tag, and high professionalism cuts across genre boundaries. Development does not have to mean running away from one's artistic starting point,” sounded in Sara Indrio's speech at the presentation of the award.

Birthe Kjær is honored for thereby also helping to broaden the picture of how far an artist's career can span and an artistic life can reach, and when artistic development can take place.

Mekdes is helping to expand the framework

Mekdes receives the appreciation award for diversity for helping to push the boundaries of who defines an artist's identity, narrative, and artistic expression.

His artistic practice inspires a broader understanding of diversity: It is not just about representation within pre-existing frameworks, but also about the opportunity to help transform them oneself.

“Diversity is not just a question of how many different people we can get into the same existing framework. It is also about expanding the framework itself. When, as an artist, you insist on the right to define who you are yourself, you at the same time make more space for those who come after, said Sara Indrio to Mekdes when he received the award.

Mekdes is being honoured for thus helping to create greater artistic scope, both for herself and for others.

DYNAMO builds the framework for an entire art form

DYNAMO receives the appreciation award for artistic entrepreneurship and the communication of circus.

With DYNAMO, Rune Andersen and Gry Lambertsen have helped create something that has long been missing in contemporary Danish circus: physical and professional frameworks where artists can perform, train, experiment, undertake residencies, and develop new works.

“Rune Andersen and Gry Lambertsen haven't just built their own workplace. They have helped to create infrastructure around an entire art form,” said Sara Indrio.

DYNAMO is honoured for creating workspaces and development opportunities for other artists, for helping to elevate contemporary circus as a profession and art form, and for strengthening the place of contemporary circus in Danish art and cultural life.