Latest press release

Sending all my love - Vintage Postcards from the Middle East

A single image. A brief greeting. A journey across continents.

With this small yet evocative special exhibition Sending All My Love – Vintage Postcards from the Middle East, we invite visitors into a world where dreams, curiosity, and longing were sent through the post. The exhibition brings together 160 original postcards from the Middle East and North Africa offering a glimpse into a bygone era when the world felt larger.

Rørbye & Bindesbøll. The Journey to Constantinople

In December 1835, the steamship Levant cuts through cold winter winds as two Danish artists stand on deck, gazing toward the horizon. Ahead lies Constantinople: the great metropolis situated between East and West. For the painter Martinus Rørbye (1803–48) and the architect Gottlieb Bindesbøll (1800–56), their encounter with the city would mark a decisive turning point.

Jette Bang - Portræt af beduinerne i Qatar

In the spring of 1959, Danish photographer Jette Bang (1914–1964) arrived in Qatar. By that time she had an impressive background as one of Denmark's leading photographers, having gained acclaim for her portrayals of Greenland’s indigenous population in photographs and films. Now, she turned her gaze towards the Middle East – specifically to the Bedouins in Qatar.

Mere end Ord. Kalligrafi fra den islamiske verden.

From 24 May you can explore the history of calligraphy and calligraphy as an artform when The David Collection opens the exhibition Beyond Words: Calligraphy from the World of Islam. The title is meant literally because the words and the beautiful letters may assume several different meanings. 

Samlerens Valg

Ny direktør i Davids Samling

Museum Director Kjeld von Folsach retires and Senior curator Joachim Meyer is appointed new Museum Director from May 1st 2023. 

Claus Rohland “Kun den rejsende er fremmed”

“Dream visions” or “psychedelic images from the Middle East”. These are both apt descriptions of the works of art on display at The David Collection from 14 October. One might also say that they reflect ‘the beauty of decay’. In any case, this is an extremely unusual art photo exhibition. Certainly, for this museum.

Niels Nedergaard. Fotografier fra Cairo

Photographs supplemented by a small selection of artworks from artist Niels Nedergaard’s time in Cairo in the 1980s.

Kamp, jagt og pragt. Våben fra den islamiske verden 1500-1850

In connection with the reopening of The David Collection, the museum will also present a new special exhibition: Fighting, Hunting, Impressing. Arms and Armour from the Islamic World 1500–1850.

Den Magiske Spinel

At a museum in Copenhagen, a different world will be opened for the young night watchman Sigurd —after which nothing is the same any longer!

Fra Philipsen til Salto - gensyn med den nyere danske samling

When Christian Ludvig David died in 1960, he left behind not only a rich collection of early fine and decorative art from Europe and parts of the world of Islam, but also a large collection of Danish paintings, sculptures, and ceramics by artists of his own day. It is a selection from this “modern” part of the collection that is reexhibited here — several of the works for the first time in 60 years.

Under Indiens himmel Fotografier fra det 19. århundrede

The David Collection’s new special exhibition provides a hitherto unknown first-hand impression of 19th-century India, primarily — but not exclusively — seen with the eyes of western photographers. Through original vintage photographs, the viewer is taken back to photography’s birth and earliest childhood and up to around 1900.