CHART Talks

In this episode, we discuss the medium of performance art, focusing on the unique practice of Teo Ala-Ruona, an artist with a deep love for text, or words, and their transformative power. Known for investigating "somatic fiction," Ala-Ruona explores how the human body’s boundaries are perceived and reshaped through technological and psycho-physical extremes. Their work weaves together autobiographical and theoretical texts with scientific research, fiction, and bodily exercises, covering themes of techno-trans-masculinity, sexuality, and eco-normative "naturalness."

Joining Ala-Ruona is Storm Møller Madsen, PhD, from the University of Copenhagen, whose expertise spans performance art, body-based performance, transgender identity, and embodiment. Together, they discuss the intricate layers of Ala-Ruona’s work and how bodywork and words can challenge and expand our understanding of the body in a modern context.

Click here to access the presentation to view the discussed artworks.

In this episode, we are delighted to present a conversation between New York-based, self-taught artist Marcus Leslie Singleton, known for his distinctive figurative paintings that blend pointed social commentary with subtle, joyful observations, and Fatoş Üstek, an independent curator and writer based in London, whose recent work includes curating the 2023 Frieze Sculpture exhibition and authoring The Art Institution of Tomorrow. The conversation was recorded live at CHART 2024, where Marcus Leslie Singleton presented a solo exhibition with V1 Gallery.

Together, they explore topics central to Singleton’s process and vision—reflecting on memory, the interpretative nature of images, and his evolving perspective after moving away from the city. Singleton shares his approach to color, jazz, serendipitous “happy accidents,” spirituality, and daily life alongside his cat, Lent, revealing how these elements shape his vibrant, layered compositions.

Click here to access the presentation to view the discussed artworks.

Listen to an insightful conversation about Artificial Intelligence between Arvida Byström, contemporary artist, Michael Connor, Co-Director of Rhizome, and Fatos Üstek, independent curator and writer – recorded live during CHART 2024.

Does AI have the potential to transcend human creativity in the arts? Together the panelists discuss the different ways in which new AI technologies are influencing contemporary art, for artists and audiences alike. Discussing everything from AI assistants, to sex dolls and van Gogh chat bots, the conversation considers the ways in which new technologies are impacting cultural economies, our relationship to the body and gender politics, and how this trend is likely to continue for years to come.

In this episode of the CHART Talks podcast, we explore the pioneering world of architect Jan Gehl, a visionary in human-centric urban design, inspired by a question once posed to him: Why are architects not interested in people?—igniting his lifelong quest to reshape city planning. Gehl’s philosophy, honed through his groundbreaking book Life Between Buildings, has transformed public spaces in cities worldwide, from New York to Copenhagen. Joining him is Tyra Dokkedahl, director of Seriously Fun and co-initiator of Empathic Environments, whose work at the intersection of art, architecture, and urban culture explores the social and cultural aspects of public spaces.

Together, Gehl and Dokkedahl discuss the evolution of cities, the activism that’s shaped Gehl’s career, and his recent knighthood by the Queen of Denmark. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on public spaces, the impact of people watching, and what makes certain urban areas inviting while others fall short.

For the third episode in a new season of the CHART Talks podcast, we are happy to share a recording of a conversation between the artist Nina Beier and Aram Moshayedi, the current interim chief curator at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and curator-in-residence at Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo in Mexico City, where he recently oversaw the exhibition Nina Beier Casts.

Together, they discuss the nuances of translating artworks, the challenges of representing sculpture and performance in photographs, and how context shapes interpretation. Topics include the significance of wall text, translation between English and Spanish, and how the same work shifts meaning in different settings. Tune in for an in-depth look at how Beier’s transformative art and Moshayedi’s curatorial insights invite new ways of understanding and engaging with contemporary art.

Click here to access the presentation to view the discussed artworks.

For the second episode in a new season of the CHART Talks podcast, we are happy to share a recording of a conversation between Mikkel Hansen, retired handball player, and art collector; Karen Bro, journalist and art collector; and Julie Quottrup Silbermann, Director of CHART; moderated by Swiss-Swedish art enthusiast Roland-Philippe Kretzschmar.

Together, they talk about what collecting means to them, share stories of their first art acquisitions, and offer guidance on key considerations for new collectors. They discuss the distinctions between buying from galleries or art fairs, along with practical tips on navigating art fairs with confidence and where to get inspired and discover new talents. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just starting out, this conversation sheds light on the motivations and strategies behind building a meaningful collection.

For the first episode in a new season of the CHART Talks podcast, we are happy to share a recording of a conversation between the photographer Inuuteq Storch and Stephanie Cristello, Chicago-based art critic, curator, and author. The conversation was recorded live at CHART 2024, during the exhibition period for ‘Rise of the Sunken Sun,’ the artist's solo exhibition in the Danish Pavilion as part of the 2024 Venice Biennale.

Storch reflects on his journey as an artist, his connection to the land, his encounters with shamans, and his passions for music and hunting. Through his lens, he reveals the unique moments when motifs seem to call to him, asking to be photographed. Storch also shares the nuances he experiences when photographing people versus landscapes, balancing the deeply personal with the universal and exploring how photography can preserve cultural memory.

Click here to access the presentation to view the discussed artworks.

For the tenth episode of the CHART Talks podcast, we are delighted to share a recording of a panel discussion moderated by Anne Mette Rahbæk, Head of Development at Realdania By & Byg featuring Ebbe Stub Wittrup, an artist with experience in creating art both for pre-existing buildings and new constructions, Poul Høilund an architect specialising in destination development, and Maria Eichhorn, an art consultant working for Statens Kunstråd to increase the scope of art in the public sphere.

Covering everything from how art can create meaningful connections between communities, to how art can increase public safety, foster beauty and provide a living document of a city's history, the talk looked at specific examples of successful public art installations in Copenhagen, Rome and other cultural capitals.

At CHART 2023, we were delighted to present a talk between the visual artist Giorgio Celin and Zippora Elders, Chief Curator and Head of the Curatorial Department & Outreach at Gropius Bau in Berlin. The conversation was recorded live at Charlottenborg and occasionally refers to a visual presentation featuring images of the solo presentation that Celin was exhibiting with NEVVEN as part of the art fair.

Beginning with the artist’s personal history and movement from Colombia to rural Italy as a young child, the conversation went on to consider the role of intimacy and autobiography in painting as well as the importance of mentors, and the relationship between movement and queerness.

Giorgio Celin is a Barcelona-based visual artist whose vibrant figurative paintings stem from his idiosyncratic lived experiences, fantasies and memories. Characterised by bold figures and vivid colours, the artist’s canvases effortlessly capture, and offer an alternative narrative to, the stories of the Latinx diaspora.

Listen to a discussion between experts from the architectural field, centering around accessibility, diversity and universal design.

Recorded live at CHART 2023 this talk was moderated by Sarah Müllertz, founder of jewellery brand KINRADEN and former Partner and Head of Global Design at Henning Larsen Architects. Panelists included: Architect and Founder of Wingårdhs Architects, Gert Wingårdh, Architect Camilla Ryhl Ph.D who specialises in the sensory qualities of architecture as well as the interpretation and implementation of universal design as a multidisciplinary value-based ethos, and Rong Guan, Interior Architect and In-house Architect at Polestar, previously Senior Lead Architect for Hirsch Bedner Associates Studio in Shanghai.

The conversation explores the importance of innovative design and how buildings and public spaces can be transformed to provide equal access, and enhance quality of life, for all individuals.