In 2024, Golden Days joins the conversation on the so-called “work life” as the festival, running from September 6-22, explores the balance between past, future, part-time, overtime, and leisure. In Copenhagen Cultural District, you can experience special tours, workshops, and a unique opening celebration at Thorvaldsen Museum.
Out of office: Opening party / Golden Days at work
Photo: Golden Days
📍 Thorvaldsens Museum, Bertel Thorvaldsens Plads 2, 1213 København K
The festival kicks off with a bang as Golden Days, in collaboration with Thorvaldsen’s Museum and Gyldendal, invites you to an opening celebration at the sculptor’s grand temple dedicated to the labor of hand and mind. The festivities begin at the end of the workday, featuring talks, concerts, and readings with Ungklang, Cecilie Lind, Sine Plambech, Stine Askov, Maya Tekeli, and Mikkel Thorup, concluding with an escapist out-of-office party headlined by rising pop icon Julie Pavon, Amanda Baun on the decks, cold after-work beers, and September sunshine in Thorvaldsen’s courtyard.
PROGRAM:
4:00 PM: Opening Remarks
4:15 PM: Readings – Cecilie Lind, Stine Askov, and Sine Plambech
The three authors read from their latest works exploring the fringes of work life.
4:45 PM: Concert – ‘Workers Union’
A performance of Louis Andriessen’s composition by students from DKDM.
5:15 PM: Talk – ‘Ni til fem’
Journalist Maya Tekeli and intellectual historian Mikkel Thorup discuss working hours.
6:00 PM: Concert – Ungklang
A choral concert by the young vocal ensemble, reflecting on happiness that comes in waves.
6:35 PM: Performance – ‘Free Time’
Maria Nadia Nour presents Danilo Correale’s work, examining the value of our leisure time.
7:00 PM: Panel Debate – Live Career Guidance
Featuring Bente Scavenius, Jennifer Vedsted Christiansen, Kaspar Colling Nielsen, and Oliver Stilling.
8:00 PM: Concert – Julie Pavon
An out-of-office concert with the rising pop star.
8:45 PM: DJ – Amanda Baun
11:00 PM: Thank you and good night.
Exhibition: The Local Business – Photos from Wong’s Takeaway to RC Dry Cleaners
Photo: Copenhagen Archives
📍 Museum of Copenhagen, Stormgade 18, 1555 København V
The exhibition is open on weekdays from 10 AM to 5 PM and on weekends from 11 AM to 5 PM.
The city’s small niche shops are often labeled as endangered in the battle against chain stores and shopping malls. But who are they, and how are they really doing? Photographer Ulf Svane and historian Mathias Kobberrød Rasmussen take us on a journey to the dog salon, the kerosene lamp dealer, the blind cleaning service (!), and many more in Copenhagen, offering a vivid snapshot of these places, their owners, and the unique trades they represent. Join us on a tour de force through a colorful world of charismatic shopkeepers, a medley of styles, and a local spirit far removed from the city’s main streets.
Admission is 100 DKK and includes entry to both Nikolaj Kunsthal and Thorvaldsens Museum. Tickets can be purchased at the Kunsthal or online here.
Hånden & Ånden – Clay workshop by Fire Paper Run
Photo: Thorvaldsens Museum
📍 Thorvaldsens Museum, Bertel Thorvaldsens Plads 2, 1213 København K
September 10th and 11th, 5:00-7:00 PM
Bertel Thorvaldsen was a sculptor who, for many years, ran a workshop in Rome with numerous workers, each specialized in a different area of craftsmanship. It was the labor of hand and mind that shaped Thorvaldsen’s artistic expression. During the festival, we’re shining a spotlight on the craft of the hand. You’re invited to visit Thorvaldsen’s Museum to try your hand at working with clay and discover your own artistic expression. In collaboration with Fire Paper Run and Container Clay, we’re offering a 3-hour clay workshop where you can learn to create your own sculpture.
Tickets are 200 DKK and can be purchased here.
Exhibition: I’m Sorry, This Space is Reserved
Photo: Nikolaj Kunsthal
📍 Nikolaj Kunsthal, Nikolaj Plads 10, 1067 København K.
The exhibition is open on weekdays from 11 AM to 6 PM and on weekends from 11 AM to 5 PM.
The group exhibition “I’m Sorry, This Space Is Reserved” contributes to the debate on the normative versus the non-normative in a society designed for the majority, with less focus on accessibility and acceptance of people and bodies that are different. Most of the participating artists have a disability, whether congenital or acquired later in life. The exhibition is curated in collaboration with Kristina Steinbock and features contributions from artists such as Joseph Grigely (US), Estela Lapponi (BR), Maiken Bent (DK), and Robert Andy Coombs (US).
Admission is 100 DKK and includes entry to both the Copenhagen Museum and Thorvaldsens Museum. Tickets can be purchased at the gallery or online here.
Visit at butcher’s shop Slagter Ali Baba
Photo: Copenhagen Archives
📍 Slagter Ali Baba, Halmtorvet 10, 1700 København V
September 11th at 4:00 PM
In connection with the photo exhibition “The Local Business – Photos from Wong’s Grill to RC Cleaners” at the Museum of Copenhagen, Slagter Ali Baba, along with Ulf and Mathias from Copenhagen Archive, invite you into the butcher shop. The story began in 1978 when Ali Baba arrived in Vesterbro as a guest worker from Turkey. On Halmtorvet, he established Copenhagen’s first halal butcher shop from the ground up, retiring in 2003 when he passed the business on to his son, Yilmaz, who has since modernized the store. Come and hear Yilmaz share stories about Copenhagen’s oldest halal butcher shop and his father’s pioneering work.
Tickets are 100 DKK and can be purchased here.
Christiansborg – The king’s working palace
Photo: Christiansborg
📍 Christiansborg Palace, Prins Jørgens Gård 1, 1218 København
September 7–8 / 11:30 AM
September 14–15 / 11:30 AM
September 21–22 / 11:30 AM
September 11–12 / 5:00 PM
September 18–19 / 5:00 PM
Christiansborg is not just a workplace for Danish parliamentarians; it is equally the king’s working palace. On this special tour of Christiansborg Palace, you can follow the king at work. Here, King Frederik X carries out important duties and upholds historical traditions in his role as Denmark’s monarch. The tour will give you insight into what actually happens during audiences, council meetings, and official receptions, and you’ll get an up-close look at royal banquets in the Great Hall. The tour also includes a visit to the Royal Kitchen and the Royal Stables, where the stable staff and the king’s white horses, which play a key role in Frederik X’s ceremonial duties, carry out their work.
Tickets are 215 DKK for adults and 105 DKK for children.
Purchase your tickets here.
BLOX and BLOXHUB – Behind the scenes
Photo: Abdellah Ihadian
📍 BLOX, Bryghusgade 10, 1473 København
September 12th, 4:00–5:30 PM
At BLOX, you can live, play, eat, exercise, view exhibitions—and work. On this guided tour, you’ll explore BLOX with one of the key figures from the construction team and gain access to areas of the massive building that are normally off-limits to the public. You’ll visit the innovation hub BLOXHUB, where professionals in architecture, design, and digitalization collaborate to create the best solutions for the sustainable cities of the future. You’ll also learn about Lille Langebro, the bridge that connects the city in a new way. As a special highlight, you’ll have the chance to visit the top of BLOX and see the 22 private apartments.
Tickets are 180 DKK (85 DKK for Realdania By & Byg Club members).
Purchase your ticket here.
AfterDAC: What Does the World’s Best Office Look Like?
Photo: Golden Days
📍 Danish Architecture Center, Bryghusgade 10, 1473 København
September 12th, 8:00–9:30 PM
Rows of desks and forests of screens: open-plan offices have become the norm in modern workplaces. But why have we organized our workspaces this way? Is it beneficial for us? Can it be done differently? Join us for AfterDAC, where we will host a conversation with philosopher and author Anders Fogh Jensen and architect Nikoline Dyrup Carlsen, founder of the architectural firm Spacon & X, moderated by architect Ane Cortzen, to discuss what makes the world’s best office. As part of the event, we will open the doors to DAC’s own office as well as BLOXHUB, a co-working space within BLOX.
The event is in Danish.
The event is free after entrance is paid. Registration is required and can be done here.
More than just a job – Working in 18th and 19th Century Copenhagen
Photo: Copenhagen City Archive
📍 Copenhagen City Archive, Rådhuspladsen 1, 1599 København
September 12th and 19th, 3:30 PM
In the basement of Copenhagen City Hall, the city’s history is stored in the archive. On this tour, we’ll venture into the archives, normally closed to the public, where we’ll find yellowed documents that recount the history of Copenhageners and their work. We’ll browse through stacks of job applications that have intriguingly survived from the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a time when work was a necessity for most. Unemployment benefits were not yet invented, and poor relief was associated with shame and coercion. At the same time, some jobs were more prestigious than others, though the pay for these honorable positions was not always high.
Tickets are 50 DKK and can be purchased here.
Lecture: Ovartaci – The Eccentric from Risskov
Photo: Golden Days
📍 Nikolaj Kunsthal, Nikolaj Plads 10, 1067 København K.
September 12th, 6:00–7:30 PM
In connection with Nikolaj Kunsthal’s current exhibition “En sky er en pige er en dreng er en kat”, visual artist Katrine Ærtebjerg will be presented alongside works by the late artist Ovartaci. Join us for a colorful exploration of Ovartaci’s life and art, with Anne Valbjørn Odgaard, a literature historian and cultural communicator.
Ovartaci, born Louis Marcussen (1894-1985), created a unique artistic universe during his time at a psychiatric hospital in Risskov, Aarhus. His art evolved from naturalistic themes to elongated human figures with animalistic traits. Ovartaci’s works are preserved and presented by Museum Ovartaci in Aarhus, and he was featured at the Venice Biennale in 2022.
Tickets are 100 DKK and can be purchased here. The ticket includes a glass of wine, bubbles, beer, or soda, and also grants access to Nikolaj Kunsthal’s current exhibition of Katrine Ærtebjerg.
The lecture is in Danish.
MorgenDAC: How does convenience shape our cities?
Photo: Golden Days
📍 Dansk Arkitektur Center, Bryghusgade 10, 1473 København
September 17th, 8:15–9:15 AM
Self-service kiosks at the supermarket, rapid delivery services, ghost kitchens, dark stores, and the dominance of online shopping – digital innovations are increasingly infiltrating our lives, making everyday tasks smoother and more convenient. But what impact does this have on our cities?
At this talk, we’ll explore these questions with Peter Bur Andersen, partner and creative director at BRIQ, who devises strategic plans for urban life, and Martin Zerlang, professor of modern culture and author of books like “København på lattergas” and “Bylivets kunst”. Together, we’ll investigate how the digitalization of daily interactions and the push for convenience are shaping urban development.
The talk is in Danish.
The event is free after the entrance fee is paid. Registration is required and can be done here.
Designerspace by BLOX
Foto: Designerspace
📍 BLOX, Bryghusgade 10, 1473 København
September 19–20, 3:00–8:00 PM
September 21–22, 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Designerspace is a platform for designers and artists, and from September 19 to 22, guests will have the opportunity to step inside the workshop and engage directly with artisans at Bryghuspladsen by BLOX. This is a chance to participate in exciting workshops and discussions about the creative entrepreneurial process, gain insights into design and ideation across textiles, jewelry, ceramics, and illustration, and hear artists share their stories of a creative career. Attendees can also purchase art and design directly from the “workbench” and get hands-on experience creating their own pieces under expert guidance.
The event will take place in a large tent at Bryghuspladsen, where Designerspace looks forward to welcoming you to an experience focused on innovation, sustainability, and quality.
Tour with Kathrine Ærtebjerg – On work life and artistic practice
Photo: Mads Holm
📍 Nikolaj Kunsthal, Nikolaj Plads 10, 1067 København K.
September 19th, 4:30–5:30 PM
Join visual artist Kathrine Ærtebjerg for a behind-the-scenes look at her creative process as she guides you through her current exhibition at Nikolaj Kunsthal’s Upper Gallery. In this exhibition, Kathrine Ærtebjerg engages in a dialogue with the works of Ovartaci, whose pieces are loaned by the newly opened Museum Ovartaci in Aarhus. The exhibition explores themes of fluid boundaries between gender, body, and the normative. Kathrine Ærtebjerg’s works create a poetic and dramatic dialogue, presented in a total installation featuring sound, objects, and canvases.
Your ticket includes a glass of bubbles and access to the museum’s other exhibitions.
The tour is in Danish. Tickets are 125 DKK and can be purchased here.
//Goldendays.dk