Partners

The Royal Danish Court  |  Embassy of Denmark, Washington, DC  |  JJ Film  |  Odense City Museums

The Wild Swans

A Creative Partnership

Meridian International Center was founded in 1960 and is a leading non-partisan, not-for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening international understanding. It is well known for building global partnerships through leadership exchanges and collaboration. This work is strengthened by its Art for Cultural Diplomacy program that organizes high quality exhibitions with government ministries, museums, artists, collectors and experts around the globe. For over 25 years, Meridian has employed art to build bridges among people worldwide and its exhibits have traveled to 320 cities in 44 U.S. states and 50 countries.

The Wild Swans exhibition is an example of how cultural projects can provide opportunities for such far-reaching connections. Because of the unique nature of this presentation, Meridian and the Royal Danish Embassy felt that a display featuring artworks by H.M. the Queen of Denmark would be of great interest in Washington, DC. For several years, Her Majesty has focused on the literary works of Hans Christian Andersen, interpreting his stories through her own illustrations and often emphasizing themes inherent to the original 19th century texts. Her artworks reveal a clear connection between contemporary Denmark and its sovereign and the country’s famed story-teller, artist and dramatist.

This exhibition features H.M. the Queen of Denmark’s decoupages and costumes for a new film adaptation of Andersen’s well known tale by JJ Films in Copenhagen. These artworks, digitized and employed in the motion picture through green screen technology, form the background for the actors in an imaginative interface between art and cinema. The exhibit installations, designed by the Odense City Museums, the parent organization of the famed Hans Christian Andersen Museum, meld Her Majesty’s creations with the fairy tale in a theatrical display.

To bring this exhibition to fruition, Meridian’s curators traveled to Denmark, meeting with the director and professional staff at the Odense City Museums. They worked with their Danish counterparts to add new elements such as original cut paper works by Hans Christian Andersen and depictions of the writer’s life from the museum’s holdings. The visit also included meetings with JJ Films and the Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Danish Court in Copenhagen.

Meridian International Center, in collaboration with the Royal Danish Court, the Embassy of Denmark, JJ Films and the Odense City Museums, is pleased to present The Wild Swans. This endeavor underscores the value each institution places on the role of art and culture in creating connections among people worldwide.