The Lost Runestones
Nine contemporary artists interpret the nine runestones that were lost in the Great Fire of Copenhagen in 1728.
In the mid-1600s, King Frederik III ordered runestones to be brought from across all of Denmark at the request of the antiquarian Ole Worm. The runestones, Denmark’s oldest form of literature, were to be gathered at the foot of the Round Tower—perhaps to keep them close to the books in the University Library housed in the Round Tower’s Library Hall. About 12 runestones reached the capital, but nine of them were lost in the Great Fire of Copenhagen in 1728. What stories vanished with those stones? What narratives and perspectives deserve to be heard in our contemporary era?
Now, nine contemporary artists bring the lost runestones back to life, each interpreting one of the nine runestones as a new artwork. Through their individual artistic practices, they give the stones a new voice and a place in the present, recontextualizing them as important testimonies.
“The Lost Runestones” presents a unique intersection of contemporary art, research, and cultural history. Symbolically, the stones return to the Round Tower as originally envisioned in the mid-1600s, when they are exhibited in the Library Hall.
Experience new works by
Frida Retz
The Hjermind Stone II // Creature in My Belly
Is motherhood a machine? What society views as mass-produced merchandise is, to a mother, a legacy of culture. Frida and Tófa are united across millennia in a timeless bond. Motherhood.
Listen to the complete story of the Hjermind Stone II and the work her.
Camilla Brogaard
The Gummarp Stone // ALMOST, THE WEST, GROWTH, THE REST
A stone at the end of a word. A final weight that pulls the words to the ground.
Stones have turned into potatoes, and comfort leaves its mark.
What marks are left in you?
Listen to the complete story of the Gummarp Stone and the work her.
Georg Jagunov
The Ålebæk Stone // The Wild Runes
The runes we humans have neither carved nor can comprehend are the wild runes.
The stones have been here for ages, silent witnesses to the passage of time. Perhaps they guard the universe’s forgotten language?
Listen to the complete story of the Ålebæk Stone and the work her.
Louis André Jørgensen
The Aunslev Stone // The Stone Mist
Have the runes on the Aunslev Stone been carved anew — born from a stone mist that drifted with the clouds and settled in a birch tree? As hidden signs and branching patterns that continue to grow within the trees.
Listen to the complete story of the Aunslev Stone and the work her.
Ida Kvetny
The Landerupense Stone II
How can a stone suddenly transform into a runestone? Did King Christian IV attempt to inscribe himself into the history books? Perhaps the stones hold the answer, speaking to one another in a secret language we have yet to understand.
Listen to the complete story of the Landerupense Stone II and the work her.
Kristoffer Ørum
The Lee Stone // The Good, the Lost, and the Beautiful
Can lost cultural heritage be 3D printed? Can reality be distorted to the point where fact and fiction are indistinguishable?
The stone has returned as an avatar — and it has brought postcards from the Viking Age.
But the Vikings didn’t live like that… did they?
Listen to the complete story of the Lee Stone and the work her.
Sidsel Bonde
The Langå Stone I // Borne off, Bygone, Bound
What happens when a stone is taken out of its context—removed from its landscape? When it shifts from being connected to nature to being relocated and losing its ties. Is it a burial or a homecoming?
Listen to the complete story of the Vamdrup Stone I and the work her.
Olivia Rode Hvass
The Vamdrup Stone I // Path of Desire (Here lies Ebbi’s son)
Why is Ebbi’s son unnamed? Was he not what his family hoped for? He lost his gravestone. Perhaps he still longs to be far away. Is he lying now among kindred spirits?
Listen to the complete story of the Vamdrup Stone I and the work her.
Louise Vind Nielsen
The Torup Stone // Big Cow
What happens when warmth meets cold? Is that where the cosmos begins? Life itself? How can a refrigerator be the modern guardian of the Torup Stone? A humming primal mother? Can you smell the milk of Audhumla?
Listen to the complete story of the Torup Stone and the work her.
Behind the exhibition is the curatorial group Kaellingstenen, consisting of Ida Hørlyck, Nina Fjordbak Nielsen, and Emma Raun. The group works with contemporary art in a space where nature, culture, and experimental media converge. Their curatorial practice often revolves around ancient folklore and the speculative. Kaellingstenen’s mission is to create innovative and accessible art experiences and exhibitions that give voice to what has been forgotten or lost, transcending time and space.
The exhibition is supported by
Københavns Kommune – Rådet for Visuel Kunst
Københavns Kommune – Kultur- og Fritidsudvalgets disponible midler – Støtte til kulturelle aktiviteter.
Ny Carlsbergfondet
5. Juni Fonden
Knud Højgaard Fonden
A.P. Møller Fonden
Lizzie og Mogens Staal Fonden
William Demant Fonden
Gangstedfonden
The exhibition is accompanied by an event program featuring, among other things, talks and workshops.
- June 20/ 5 p.m.
TOWER TALK: What can art tell us about history? (in Danish)
Read more and buy your ticket - June 21 / 12-4 p.m. (drop-in)
WORKSHOP: Make your own runestone
Read more and buy your ticket - 19. July / 12-4 p.m. (drop-in)
WORKSHOP: Make your own runestone
Read more and buy your ticket - August 3 / 12-4 p.m. (drop-in)
WORKSHOP: Make your own runestone
Read more and buy your ticket - August 17 / 12-4 p.m. (drop-in)
WORKSHOP: Make your own runestone
Read more and buy your ticket
