The book, ‘Denmark in Transition’ has now been published by Gyldendal, Denmark.

14 Danish photographers has photographed the Danish landscape.

My theme was the man-altered landscape:

Denmark – The Suburban Garden
Seen from outer space the earth is a small blue globe dotted with brown
and green. From this perspective Denmark is an insignificant speck. But
we do not have to travel into space to experience a new perspective, where
the dimensions change one’s point of view. A high point have the same effect.
Inspired by the German photographic artist Andreas Gursky, for Denmark
in Transition Henrik Saxgren has used a crane and photographed
from a height of 40 metres. He has worked with manmade landscapes and
focussed on infrastructural installations. The perspective and distance
from the earth does not prevent us recognising details. We can see people,
cars and road signs. All in miniature. But the view from above is still
strange – unfamiliar. The picture of everyday reality ‘down there’ seems
both larger and smaller in overview.
A fascination with the art and logic of engineering can be traced in the
images. As in the photograph from Peberholmen, a manmade island in
the Sound connecting the tunnel and bridge crossing the strait. In Saxgren’s
photograph the roads leading to the tunnel run parallel to the railway
tracks. In the lower right-hand corner there is a helipad with a large
white H painted on the asphalt. All manmade – apart from the Sound, although
even the sea is hemmed in by a ruler-straight coastline bulwarked
against flooding. Peberholm is one of the most extreme examples of the
reshaping of landscapes – or creation landscapes. But in Denmark it is
difficult, if not impossible, to find anywhere unshaped by human hands.
Seen through Saxgren’s lens Denmark is a suburban garden, something
he strives to document honestly. Stripped of romanticism or nostalgia.
He consciously avoids photographing beyond the modern traces in the
landscape by distancing himself physically and letting things speak for
themselves.
Saxgren is otherwise well known as a highly subjective photographer,
whose photo journalism from conflict zones around the globe go close
to both people and events. In more recent years he has worked with landscapes
- manmade landscapes. Most recently in the series Unintended
Sculptures (2009). His use of a crane in his project for Denmark in Transition
is not an effect, but rather a tool in his attempt to visually objectify
the landscape. To rise above Denmark in the years 2008-09, and present
photographs free of emphasis or commentary. Documentation for posterity
packed with as much information as possible.

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My book, Unintended Sculptures, is published by the German publishing house, Hatje Cantz  in an international edition.

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Biography

Henrik Saxgren was born in Randers, Denmark in 1953.

Although professionally trained as an advertising photographer, he switched to photojournalism, focusing on international issues from Haiti to Palestine, Cuba to Rwanda. In 1979 he co-founded the collective photo agency 2Maj, based in Copenhagen.

With 2Maj as his base he worked as an independent photojournalist up to 1995, when the agency was dissolved.
From 1995 to 2000 he constantly went to Nicaragua, only back in Denmark to earn money to finance his work on the book, Solomons House, which was published in 2000.

After the accomplishment of this very classic b&w documentary book he found it was time for a change.
In 2000/2001 he settled for some months in Euqador and did a series of large format color landscapes.
And after 9/11 he went to Gaza with the same large format camera and did the exhibition: Landscapes of War.
In 2006 he finished four years work on the project, “War & Love – immigration into the Nordic countries”, where he did one portrait (and text) of 80 immigrants/families of different nationalities, who has settled in one of the Nordic countries.
That project was published in Denmark and Sweden.
September 20. 2010 the exhibition ‘Unintended Sculptures’ was exhibited at The National Museum of Photography (Den Sorte Diamant) and at Galerie Asbæk. A book with the same title was published by German publisher, Hatje Cantz same date.

HENRIK SAXGREN/CV

1953: Born in Randers, Denmark.
1970: Finishing high school.
1974: Certificate as advertising photographer.

SoloExhibitions

2010: Unintended Sculptures, de Frog Gallery, FotoFest, Houston, USA
2009: Unintended Sculptures, The National Museum of Photography, Copenhagen.
2009: Unintended Sculptures/Gallery Cut, Galerie Asbæk, Copenhagen.
2009: War and Love, Akureyri Art Museum; Iceland
2008: War and Love, Stenersenmuseet, Oslo, Norway.
2007: War and Love, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.
2006: War and Love, Århus Kunstbygning, Denmark.
2006: War and Love, Øksnehallen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2006: War and Love, Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finland.
2006: War and Love, Hasselblad Center, Göteborg Museum of Art, Sweden.
2004: Landscapes of War, Superdanish, Habourfrontcent., Toronto.
2004: Voodoo, SUPERDANISH, Pikto Gallery, Toronto.
2004: Time Check, Danish Cultural Institute, Edingburgh.
2004: Point of View, Trappegalleriet, Huset, Århus.
2003: EFTERSYN, Galleri IMAGE, Aarhus, Denmark.
2003: EFTERSYN, Frederiksborg Museum, Denmark
2003: Voodoo! (With Abbas). World Museum, Rotterdam.
2003: Landscapes of War, Esbjerg Bibliotek, Denmark.
2002: Landscapes, Palais für Aktuelle Kunst, Glückstad, Germany.
2002: Landskaber. Portalen, Greve, Denmark.
2002: Landscapes Of War, Øksnehallen, Copenhagen.
2001: Solomons House, Narden Fotofestival, Amsterdam.
2001: State Of Mind, Fotografisk Center, Copenhagen.
2000: Solomons House, Danish Embassy, Managua, Nicaragua.
2000: Solomons House, VISA d’Or, Perpignan, Frankrig.
1999: Snails Without Shelters, Galleri Kontrast, Stockholm.
1998: Point Of View, Walter Reed Gallery, Lincolncenter, New York.
1998: Déjà vu, MIRA Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden.
1997: Déjà vu, Museet for Fotokunst, Brandt, Odense, Denmark.
1995: Snails Without Shelters, UN Social Summit, Copenhagen.
1993: 25 Portraits. The National Gallery at Frederiksborg Museum.
1990: 10 years of Revolution, Grand Hotel, Managua, Nicaragua.
1974: – We do know them, but what are they doing?, Randers, Denmark.

GroupExhibitions

2010:  Denmark in Transition, Brandts, Odense, Denmark.
2009: As never before, Skagen Museum, Skagen, Denmark.
2007: One Shot Each, Brandts Klædefabrik, Odense, Denmark.
2007: Scandinavian Photography 2, Fotofest, Houston, USA.
2006: Closed Eyes, Brandts Klædefabrik, Odense, Denmark.
2006: Scandinavian Photography 2, Scandinavian House. New York, USA.
2005: Scandinavian Photography 2, Iowa, USA.
2003: Confronting Views, Photofestival Rom, Italy.
2003: Confronting Views, Photographers Gallery, London.
2002: Röda sten, Göteborg, Sweden.
2002: Confronting Views, Noorderlight Photofestival, Grooningen.
2000: PYLONIA, Felleshuset, Berlin, Germany.
1999: SNAPSHOT 2200, workshop with immigrant-kids in Copenhagen.
1990: Photos from East-Europe, Galleri Image, Århus, Denmark.
1989: Selfportraits, Gallery Rundetårn, Copenhagen.
1988: PEACE, Louisiana, Denmark.
1984: The Long Journey, Charlottenborg, Copenhagen.

Books

2009: Unintended Sculptures, Hatje Cantz, Germany.
2006: Krig och Kärlek, Max Ström, Sweden
2006: Krig og Kærlighed, Gyldendal, Denmark
2003: EFTERSYN, Gyldendal, Denmark.
2000: SOLOMONS HOUSE, APERTURE, USA.
2000: Landet uden fædre, Gyldendal, Denmark.
2000: PYLONIA, Gyldendal, Denmark.
2000: PYLONIA, Journal, Sweden.
1998: Point of View, APERTURE, USA.
1996: P.O.V., Gyldendal, Denmark.
1990: TIME – about photojournalism, AMANDA, Danmark.
1982: Snedronningen, TIDERNE SKIFTER, with Ib Michael.
1975: Knægten har jo ret, Borgen, Denmark.

Anthologies

2010: Places, Denmark in Transition, Gyldendal, Denmark.
(Artists: Krass Clement, Joakim Eskildsen, Mads Gamdrup, Nicolai Howalt, Astrid Kruse Jensen, Kirsten Klein, Henrik Saxgren og Trine Søndergaard – among others…).
2008: Verschwindende Landschaften – Dumont Buchverlag, Germany.
2008: Vanishing Landscapes, Francis Lincoln Limited Publishers, UK.
(Artists: Hiroshi Sugimoto, Olaf Otto Becker, Thomas Struth, Robert Adams, Henrik Saxgren, Joel Sternfeld, Edward Burtynsky – among others…).

Prizes, Grants and Awards

2007: Prize, The Golden Bookmarker, BG Banks litteratursponsorat, DK.
2006: Nominated for Deutsche Börse Photography Prize
2006: Prize, Martin Andersen Nexø-prize, 2006.
2006: Grant, Fogtdals rejselegat til fotografer 2006.
2004: Grant, VELUX FONDEN, Denmark.
2004: Grant, LO’s Kulturfond, Denmark.
2004: Grant, Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration, DK
2002: Grant, Nordic Counsil Artfoundation.
2002: Grant, The Hasselblad Foundation, Göteborg, Sweden.
2001: Grant, The Danish Art Foundation/Statens Kunstfond.
2000: Prize, Carsten Nielsen Prize, Danish Union of Journalists.
2000: Grant, The Danish Art Foundation/Statens Kunstfond.
2000: Grant, Ny Carlsbergfondet.
1998: Grant,The Danish Art Foundation/Statens Kunstfond.
1998: Grant, Hasselblad Foundation, Sweden.
1998: Grant. Ministry of Culture, Denmark.
1996: Grant, Ny Carlsbergfondet, Denmark.
1996: Grant, Kulturfonden, Denmark.
1996: Grant, Nationalbankens Jubilæumsfond, Denmark.
1995: Award, Jyllands Postens Kulturlegat, Denmark.
1995: The Top One Hundred Photographers, Maine, USA.
1988: Award, Photographer Of The Year, Denmark.
1985: Award, Photographer Of The Year, Denmark.
1985: Prize: Døssingprize, Denmark.
1982: Prize: Chr. Dahls Mindelegat, Denmark.

Collections

ARoS, Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Denmark.
Museet for Fotokunst, Odense, Denmark,
The Frederiksborg Museum, Denmark.
Noorderlight Photography Gallery, Holland.
Ny Carlsbergfondet, Denmark.
Danish Art Foundation.
The Royal Library. Denmark.