7 January 2024 will mark the 125th anniversary of the birth in Aabenraa of the artist Franciska Clausen. As a prelude to the anniversary year, Brundlund Castle & Art Museum are presenting a major new exhibition devoted to this local artist and her international vision.

Born into a prosperous merchant family in Aabenraa in 1899, even as a young girl Franciska Clausen displayed obvious talent and an interest in artistic self-expression: an interest she retained until her death in 1986. The exhibition spotlights her long, rich artistic life, featuring both the familiar masterpieces and a large number of lesser-known works. The exhibition presents works both from the museum’s own collection and from the large collection of works in Fonden Franciska Clausens Samlinger, which is deposited with Museum Sønderjylland.

The collages of Franciska Clausen

Throughout the anniversary year, visitors to Brundlund Castle & Art Museum can discover a real kaleidoscope of an exhibition that reveals the huge variety of works that Franciska Clausen created. These include a number of collages, which Franciska Clausen mainly worked on from the post-war period and up until the 1970s. Although the collages are not among her most famous works, they provide a fascinating insight into her way of working, reflecting her keen eye for shapes and colours. In addition to the collages, the exhibition also presents a number of distinguished children’s drawings and many of the familiar paintings and poster designs from Franciska Clausen’s time in Berlin and Paris.

The artist Signe Jais – a modern take on the legacy of Franciska Clausen

To highlight the fact that Franciska Clausen continues to be a huge source of inspiration for Danish artists, we have invited the contemporary artist Signe Jais to present her modern, collage-inspired works in one of the tower rooms of the Castle. A graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Signe Jais has previously exhibited at museums and galleries both in Denmark and abroad.

Comprehensive public engagement and interpretation

A Collage - Franciska Clausen 125 Years will take visitors on a journey through Franciska Clausen’s entire life.

The design of the exhibition will encourage them to explore, using both their eyes and their hands. Throughout her life, Franciska Clausen experimented with shapes and colours, and impactful compositions. The exhibition will allow visitors to have a go at combining various shapes to form effective compositions.