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“I would like artists to set social agendas and take part in the public debate”

– Michael Thouber is appointed director of Kunsthal Charlottenborg

Michael Thouber, channel controller for the Danish broadcasting corporation (DR2), has been appointed director of Kunsthal Charlottenborg. He will take over the director’s chair on 1 September 2015.
 
In the months to come, the new director will prepare a vision and plan for Kunsthal Charlottenborg’s profile for 2016–18. One of Michael Thouber’s key visions reflects his wish to see artists take back a central position in public debate, thereby helping to critique and direct where our society is headed. 
 
“Artists have lost their natural, important place in public debate. That is why art and culture was virtually invisible in the discussions surrounding the recent election here in Denmark. It is important to reinstate the artists’ voice, for they often see the world from different perspectives and ask critical questions that challenge the times and the society we live in", says Michael Thouber. 
 
“I’d like to help find the next Yahya Hassan within the realm of visual art. As a poet, Hassan is a gifted artist, and his arrival on the Danish literary scene was a gamechanger for public debate in Denmark. The art scene is full of people who can match his talent and impact. I would like to make Kunsthal Charlottenborg a place where Danes can find visionary, provocative and relevant observations about society today.” 
 
Sanne Kofod Olsen, Rector of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ Schools of Visual Art and the person responsible for appointing Thouber, says: “I look forward to co-operating with Michael Thouber – and to seeing what will happen at Kunsthal Charlottenborg under his management. Michael has great insight into the world of art as well as into management and communication, and I believe that his skills and experience will be of great benefit to Kunsthal Charlottenborg”. 
 
Michael Thouber will head the future developments at Kunsthal Charlottenborg, reaffirming its position as a national centre of Danish and international contemporary art. The venue aims to attract a wide audience brought together by a shared interest in art and culture, and to constitute a crucial part of the local and national cultural scenes. 
 
Rector Sanne Kofod Olsen says: “The arrival of Michael Thouber gives us a strong communicator and an experienced manager who believes in the importance of contemporary art in today’s society – and someone who is genuinely eager to communicate with audiences. This is an ideal match for the overall framework of Kunsthal Charlottenborg defined in the spring of 2015: a framework that emphasises communication, learning, and audience development based on cutting-edge contemporary art – by newcomers and established figures alike.”

Facts:

Michael Thouber (b. 1971) holds an MA in Modern Culture and Cultural Studies and a BA in Art History and History of Religion. He has worked for the Danish broadcasting corporation (DR) for many years, initially as a culture editor, later as a channel controller. He has also been a strategic advisor for the design company e-Types. 
Michael Thouber has completed the two-year management training programme of the Danish broadcasting corporation, which includes Media Management studies at Northwestern University in Chicago.
Since the late 1990s, where Thouber co-founded the exhibition venue and journal 1 %, he has arranged numerous exhibitions in Denmark and abroad. The most recent examples include the exhibition Mit navn er Jørgen Leth (My Name is Jørgen Leth) at Kunstforeningen Gl. Strand and Zeigen – an audio exhibition featuring 156 artists at Nikolaj Kunsthal in Copenhagen.
Thouber is co-author of the book Alt det man ikke ser (All That You Do Not See) about contemporary art. 
 
Kunsthal Charlottenborg is part of The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art’s Schools of Visual Art and Kunsthal Charlottenborg. The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art’s Schools of Visual Art and Kunsthal Charlottenborg is a state-operated institute of education and art venue under the auspices of the Danish Ministry of Culture. 
Kunsthal Charlottenborg and the Schools of Visual Art constitute a jointly administrated department featuring eight employees and a number of art hosts. In addition to the director, the department consists of a curator, an exhibition co-ordinator, a head of visitor services, three project managers and a communications assistant. 

Contact:

Rector Sanne Kofod Olsen: +45 3374 4601,
Director of Kunsthal Charlottenborg Michael Thouber: +45 2840 8050,
Head of Media Relations Lotte Wassini: +45 3374 4629,