In Los Angeles completing his upcoming film about Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, north of Viborg-born Danish film and television director JANUS METZ talks about being drawn to characters that look into darkness. From his documentary Armadillo (2010) about Danish soldiers in the war in Afghanistan to his big budget tv series Star Wars: Andor (2025) to the miniseries ZeroZeroZero (2020) about the global cocaine trade, Janus talks about the anthropological approach and perspective in all his work.

Janus selects a work by Per Kirkeby from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS7953

(Private photograph)

This conversation with Asger Hussain occurred on November 10, 2025.

----------

We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

----------

And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From Gehl Studio on Powell Street, Gjern-born, San Francisco-based Danish architect, urban strategist and designer SOFIE KVIST recalls moving to the US when Danish firm Gehl People opened its west coast office. She describes her people-centric and data-driven work focused on public spaces as more social science than design. And she shares conceptual design projects in North American cities that have, at their core, attention to foundational cultural, social, and environmental sustainability.

Sofie selects a work by Ejnar Nielsen from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS1832

(Photograph Source: GEHL)

This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on November 7, 2025.

----------

We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

----------

And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From Copenhagen for a short stopover during awards season, Herning-born, Copenhagen-based Danish documentary film producer HELLE FABER talks about her film Mr Nobody Against Putin, currently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Helle discusses how she got involved in the secret film, how the subject and filmmakers had to trust each other, and how the team got the subject out of Russia for his safety that would then secure the film's chances to be shown.

Helle selects a work by Ragna Braase from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/kms8905

(Photographer: Martin Bubrandt)

This conversation with Asger Hussain occurred on February 20, 2026.

----------

We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

----------

And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From her home in Burbank, Aarhus-born, Peabody Award-winning Danish podcast host, director, and producer LEA THAU retraces her journey from New York to Los Angeles, first leading The Moth, the live platform for storytellers, to creating the podcast Strangers. Lea describes the gradual insertion of own self at the center of her storytelling, exemplified by the "Love Hurts" and "Lea in Trumpland" miniseries. And after a 7-year hiatus, she hints at upcoming shows of yet another kind of storytelling.

Lea selects a work by Erik Henningsen from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS1454

(Photographer: Kevin Zacker)

This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on December 10, 2025.

See more from Lea Thau on https://www.patreon.com/cw/leathau.

----------

We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

----------

And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From his home in Healdsburg in Northern California, Taulov-born Danish winemaker LEO STEEN HANSEN recalls his journey in 1999 from sommelier at famed Copenhagen restaurant Kong Hans to natural winemaking in Sonoma County. Leo shares insights on his approach to his food-friendly wines at Leo Steen Wines, especially his signature Chenin Blanc, and his relationships with vineyard partners along the California coast. And he talks about his newest venture in Denmark, Scout by Leo.

Leo selects a work by P.S. Krøyer from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS1658

(Photographer: Stephanie Hopkins)

This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on November 4, 2025.

----------

We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

----------

And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From his studio in Vesterbro, Sønderborg-born Danish photographer SØREN SOLKÆR is home in Copenhagen after an exhibition opening in London. Søren talks about the evolving role of his camera over his three-decade long oeuvre of long-term global projects such as Surface, Photographs Posed, Passage, Souls, Black Sun, and One, focused on people, nature, and spirituality, and his relationship to patience. And he shares his plans for the Adventurer's Club where he is a lifetime member.

Søren selects a work by Christian Lemmerz from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS8399

(Photographer: Søren Solkær)

This conversation with Gregers Heering occurred on November 3, 2025.

----------

We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

----------

And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From his home in Portugal, suburban Copenhagen-born Danish serial entrepreneur HENRIK ZILLMER talks about AirHelp, one of many disruptive tech companies he founded that brought him to Silicon Valley and New York. He describes the concept of Justice-as-a-Service, his background in comedy and the military, and the cultural nuances in entrepreneurship in Europe, the US, and Asia. And he shares his newest ventures that take him away from technology into nature and the physical world.

Henrik selects a work by Wilhelm Marstrand from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS8833

(Photographer: York Hovest)

This conversation with Asger Hussain occurred on October 22, 2025.

----------

We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

----------

And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From The Royal Danish Theatre, Dallas-born, Detroit-raised, and Copenhagen-based American-Danish ballet dancer HOLLY DORGER recalls arriving in Denmark 18 years ago at age 18 to join The Royal Danish Ballet, where she subsequently was promoted from corps de ballet to soloist and principal dancer. Holly explains her at times bumpy and lonely road as an American creative in Denmark, her connection to her audiences via social media, and being knighted at age 26 by HM Queen Margrethe.

Holly selects a work by an unknown artist from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS993

(Photographer: Samantha Zauscher)

This conversation with Gregers Heering occurred on October 20, 2025.

----------

We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

----------

And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From his home in Washington DC, Ravnsnæs-born Danish counselor of science and innovation TORBEN ORLA NIELSEN explains his new role with the Danish Embassy tracking the political framework of the US research environment as it impacts Danish research. Following seven years in Boston's Innovation Centre Denmark, Torben, a diplomat, navigates the evolving US research priorities and funding in order to assist US collaborations with Danish universities and companies.

Torben selects a work by an unknown artist from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KKSgb44667

(Private photograph)

This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on October 17, 2025.

----------

We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

----------

And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From her home in Valby, Copenhagen, Elsinore-born Danish denim and jeans designer CHRISTINE DETLEFSEN finds her inspiration from the vintage world while combining sustainable and responsible innovations in fiber, fabric, and washing. Trained at Levi's, Christine recalls the years working in New York and Los Angeles, and executive producing a documentary about the unique cultural history of jeans. And she walks through how denim design requires an artistic and engineering mindset equally.

Christine selects a work by Wolfgang Tillman from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KKS1996-66/32

(Private photograph)

This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on October 13, 2025.

----------

We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

----------

And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst