Duus Commission

The comprehensive decoration by Michael Kvium consists of eight works – paintings and triptychs – created over a two-year period. The works form a cohesive whole, in which each individual piece stands independently while simultaneously reflecting and extending the others within a unified narrative.

Kvium’s visual universe is infused with a tragicomic sensibility, where human fragility, mistrust, and interpersonal tensions emerge within a staged, almost theatrical setting. The figures often exist in a field of tension between the grotesque and the recognizable – serving as archetypes of contemporary existential and social conditions. Consumer culture and human vanity appear as underlying themes, not as explicit statements, but as psychological layers within the complex spatial compositions of the works.

About the Project

The installation stands as a testament to what art can become when a personal passion is allowed to unfold over time. It emerges from the collector’s deep engagement with Michael Kvium’s universe and a desire to grant the works space as a cohesive narrative—one that resonates in both scale and intensity.

The framework was defined מראש, and the project evolved through a close collaboration between artist, gallery, and collector. Throughout the process, careful consideration was given to how the installation could be integrated into its setting. Kvium subsequently continued refining the works—both in scale and motif—ensuring that the overall composition became site-specific and precisely attuned to its context. The result is a collection that both consolidates Kvium’s visual world and confidently expands beyond it—literally and metaphorically.

The image captures the opening of the project, where Trapholt Director Karen Grøn and artist Michael Kvium engaged in a dialogue on the installation and Kvium’s artistic universe.

Photographs of the Installation

The images present the installation at Hviidsminde shortly before the opening. Here, the space appears in its architectural stillness, allowing the works to stand with clarity—uninterrupted and in direct dialogue with the site’s proportions, natural light, and materiality.

Typically, the hall is occupied by automobiles from CARCLUB, which are temporarily absent. This rare condition offers a distinct opportunity to experience Kvium’s works as a unified installation, where fields of color, figures, and formats unfold at full scale.

Foto: Frank Cilius

The Works

Michael Kvium’s works created for Hviidsminde form a cohesive installation consisting of seven oil paintings. Within these compositions, we encounter his distinctive figures set in tightly structured spaces, defined by bold fields of color and symbolically charged elements. The motifs revolve around human vanity, doubt, and interpersonal tension.

Each work stands independently, yet simultaneously contributes to a larger narrative in which formats, colors, and figures reflect and extend one another across the space. The result is a unified whole, where Kvium’s universe unfolds in both physical scale and thematic depth—inviting the viewer into a pictorial realm that both challenges and captivates the gaze.

The Back of the Hand

100 x 100 | 2024 | Oil on Canvas

Video from the Opening of the Project

About Carclub

CARCLUB Kolding – Where Aesthetics and Automotive Culture Converge

CARCLUB in Kolding is more than a car dealership – it is a space where passion, aesthetics, and craftsmanship come together. Here, the automobile is regarded not merely as a means of transportation, but as a design object and a technical masterpiece, where form, materiality, and detail are essential.

Rooted in the premium segment and driven by specialists with in-depth expertise in brands such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, CARCLUB operates with a clear understanding of the car as both function and narrative. Lines, proportions, colour compositions, and material choices are never incidental – they are the result of precision and vision. This dedication to quality and form creates a natural synergy with the world of art.

In the intersection between art and automobile, a shared language emerges: a fascination with craftsmanship, uncompromising quality, and sensory presence. Just as a work of art contains layers of intention, skill, and reflection, the premium car is the outcome of meticulous development and a passion for detail. Both appeal to the aesthetic eye and to the desire to surround oneself with objects that transcend pure functionality.

Within the setting of CARCLUB in Kolding, the automobile becomes part of a larger, curated experience in which design, space, and visual identity interact seamlessly. It is a destination where automotive passion meets a refined awareness of form and expression – and where art naturally becomes an extension of the same commitment to quality, character, and presence.

Photographs from the Opening Reception

The first image features businessman and collector Michael Duus inaugurating the project at the opening event at Hviidsminde, hosted by Carclub. In close collaboration with the gallery and the artist, Duus initiated the project, which evolved over a two-year period.

Subsequent images capture moments from the opening, where business professionals and invited guests gathered for an evening dedicated to art. The program included speeches by Duus, Grøn, and Kvium, along with additional elements that enriched and completed the overall artistic experience.

Photography by: Frank Cilius

Art Projects in Collaboration with Galleri Franz Pedersen

An Artistic Interpretation of Passion, Precision, and Performance

At Galleri Franz Pedersen, we specialise in identifying and translating a company’s DNA into a distinct artistic expression. In this project, we draw on a world defined by passion, technical expertise, and an uncompromising attention to detail—where form, materiality, and performance are fundamental elements.

We recognise a strong affinity between art and automotive culture. Both fields are rooted in craftsmanship, vision, and a refined awareness of proportion, surface, and movement. Clean lines, tactile quality, and the balance between power and elegance form the foundation of a visual narrative in which aesthetics and identity converge.

Through art, a dialogue is created between space and viewer, elevating the functional into a sensory and reflective context. The result is not merely decoration, but a cohesive experience that enhances the character of the setting and strengthens its visual and value-based foundation.

Would you like to translate your company’s values into art?

We collaborate with companies and institutions to develop art projects that create identity, presence, and visual impact. Art can be more than decoration—it can serve as a compelling narrative that communicates ambition, heritage, and passion.

We provide consultancy, curatorial expertise, and project management from concept to completion—ensuring quality, authenticity, and a solution that feels naturally embedded within your brand universe.