French Days at the Glyptotek
23 April from 10 am to 9 pm and 24-26 April from 10 am to 5 pm
23 April from 10 am to 9 pm and 24-26 April from 10 am to 5 pm
Based on the museum's collection of French art, the festival focuses on the connections, stories and ideas that have bound Denmark and France together over time, and on how French art and culture continue to resonate today.
In 2026 the festival program will be based on one of the most significant works at the Glyptotek, Gloria Victis, which is a monument to defeat, hope and national narratives. Through a program of talks, conversations, dance, food and music, the festival opens new perspectives on the importance of art in a historical and societal perspective.
You can, among other things, experience the acclaimed French dance company Minuit 12, a silent disco à la française, and a classical ensemble from The French Connection Academy.
5:00-5.30 pm Free welcome beer from Carlsberg
5:30-5:40 pm Welcome Director of Glyptoteket Gertrud Hvidberg-Hansen and the French Ambassador to Denmark, Christophe Parisot, will open the evening.
5:45-9:00 pm Music. Silent Disco with DJ MOQST Put on your headphones and step into an intimate, pulsating soundscape as French DJ MOQST performs among the classical sculptures - revealing them in a new light.
5:45 pm, 6:15 pm & 7:15 pm, 7:45 pm Reading of French Poetry Two poets read from works inspired by the themes of Gloria Victis: the experience of defeat, the persistence of hope, and the narratives that shape both national and human identities. Each text is performed first in French, followed by the poet’s own translation into Danish or English.
Featuring: Pierre Astan studied philosophy and history in Paris and writes sensory, exploratory poetry centered on experience and presence. Rosita Crone has published five poetry collections in French, most recently Rêveries d’équinoxe (2026), created in collaboration with the French painter Blaise Hanquet. Duration: 15 minutes
5:45 pm, 6:45 pm (ENG), 8:00 pm Mini talk. Gloria Victis Take a closer look at the sculpture towering above the Winter Garden fountain: Gloria Victis. Created by Antonin Mercié as a dramatic monument to France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, it quickly became a powerful symbol of grief, honour, and national memory. Carl Jacobsen acquired a version for the Glyptotek and placed it at the centre of his Winter Garden. Join us as we explore why this French monument to military collapse found such a prominent place in Copenhagen, and how Mercié’s iconic sculpture brings together sorrow, honour, and political memory.
6.00-6.45 pm Talk: Gloria Victis (ENG) Christine Tommerup (Curator, Glyptotek) in conversation with British art historian Nick Parkinson (Institut national d’histoire d l’art ) about his new book Commemorating Defeat, an exploration of monuments dedicated to defeat, with particular focus on Gloria Victis.
6:15 pm, 7:15 pm, 8:15 pm (ENG) Mini talk. Carl Jacobsen and the Dream of Paris in Copenhagen The Glyptotek is teeming with French national monuments. Join us for a brief introduction to Carl Jacobsen’s deep fascination with Paris: why he believed that French art could point Denmark toward the future, how Paris served as a model for modern culture, and just how much French art and architecture he actually scattered across Copenhagen.
7:15 PM, 20:00 PM Dance. Les Cimes – Collectif Minuit 12 Experience the influential dance ensemble Collectif Minuit 12, whose work Les Cimes leads the audience into a sensory “forest” of statues in a performance about preserving nature’s fragile ecosystem. Here, the dancers transform into trees, beings, and guardians who guide us between worlds. The piece premiered at the Musée d’Orsay in 2023.
1:30 pm, 2:30 pm (ENG), 3:30 pm Mini talk. Gloria Victis Take a closer look at the sculpture towering above the Winter Garden fountain: Gloria Victis. Created by Antonin Mercié as a dramatic monument to France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, it quickly became a powerful symbol of grief, honour, and national memory. Carl Jacobsen acquired a version for the Glyptotek and placed it at the centre of his Winter Garden. Join us as we explore why this French monument to military collapse found such a prominent place in Copenhagen, and how Mercié’s iconic sculpture brings together sorrow, honour, and political memory.
2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm (ENG) Mini talk. Carl Jacobsen and the Dream of Paris in Copenhagen The Glyptotek is teeming with French national monuments. Join us for a brief introduction to Carl Jacobsen’s deep fascination with Paris: why he believed that French art could point Denmark toward the future, how Paris served as a model for modern culture, and just how much French art and architecture he actually scattered across Copenhagen.
11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm (ENG), 3:00 pm Mini talk: Gloria Victis Take a closer look at the sculpture towering above the Winter Garden fountain: Gloria Victis. Created by Antonin Mercié as a dramatic monument to France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, it quickly became a powerful symbol of grief, honour, and national memory. Carl Jacobsen acquired a version for the Glyptotek and chose to place it at the centre of his new Winter Garden. Join us as we explore why this French monument to military collapse found such a prominent place in Copenhagen, and how Mercié’s iconic sculpture unites sorrow, honour, and political memory.
11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm (ENG), 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm Mini talk: Carl Jacobsen and the French Connection – Jeanne d’Arc Following France’s defeat to Prussia in 1871, a national cult around Jeanne d’Arc emerged – a peasant girl in full armour, neither man nor woman, in whom the nation could see itself reflected. Join this guided tour to explore why this fully armoured warrior became a unifying symbol for France, and how Carl Jacobsen’s Francophile passion brought this cult to Copenhagen.
12:00-1:00 pm Music. Classical Concert with The French Connection Academy In the Festival Hall, FCA Artists present a one-hour concert where French elegance meets Nordic sensitivity. The programme features works by Debussy, Ravel, and Fauré, alongside Chaminade, Bonis, and Danish composer Rued Langgaard. The music unfolds through both interpretation and improvisation and is performed by young international musicians, including violinist Alva Wadströmer and pianist Romain Jansen, joined by Emilie Callesen Doulcet and Jean-Baptiste Doulcet.
2:00-3:00 pm Talk. Art in Public Spaces The monument as political communication: street art, power & counterpower How are monuments and public art used to shape narratives of power, history, and identity – and how are they challenged by contemporary counter-voices such as street art?
The talk features French historian Mathilde Larrère, specialist in revolutionary movements and policing in 19th-century France, and Amalie Skovmøller, classical archaeologist working with sculpture from Antiquity to the present. Together, they offer both historical and contemporary perspectives on art in public space.
Moderator: Frederikke Ingemann, former international correspondent for TV 2 and DR, and PhD in international politics and 20th-century European history from the Sorbonne. Duration: 60 min. In English.
11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm (ENG), 3:00 pm Mini talk: Gloria Victis Take a closer look at the sculpture towering above the Winter Garden fountain: Gloria Victis. Created by Antonin Mercié as a dramatic monument to France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, it quickly became a powerful symbol of grief, honour, and national memory. Carl Jacobsen acquired a version for the Glyptotek and chose to place it at the centre of his new Winter Garden. Join us as we explore why this French monument to military collapse found such a prominent place in Copenhagen, and how Mercié’s iconic sculpture unites sorrow, honour, and political memory.
11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm (ENG), 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm Mini talk: Carl Jacobsen and the French Connection – Jeanne d’Arc Following France’s defeat to Prussia in 1871, a national cult around Jeanne d’Arc emerged – a peasant girl in full armour, neither man nor woman, in whom the nation could see itself reflected. Join this guided tour to explore why this fully armoured warrior became a unifying symbol for France, and how Carl Jacobsen’s Francophile passion brought this cult to Copenhagen.
12:00–1:00 pm Music: Classical Concert with The French Connection Academy FCA Artists present a one-hour concert where French elegance meets Nordic sensitivity. The programme features works by Debussy, Ravel, and Fauré, alongside Chaminade, Bonis, and Danish composer Rued Langgaard. The music unfolds through both interpretation and improvisation and is performed by young international musicians, including violinist Alva Wadströmer and pianist Romain Jansen, joined by Emilie Callesen Doulcet and Jean-Baptiste Doulcet.
2:00–3:00 pm Talk: French Soft Power A historical conversation on France’s role as a driving force behind breakthroughs in modern literature, philosophy, architecture, and art. With a point of departure in history, the talk also addresses contemporary Europe and the cultural influence that continues to shape the continent in a time marked by crises. Participants include Jørn Boisen, Associate Professor of French at the University of Copenhagen, and French historian Pierre Singaravélou, Professor at the Sorbonne. Moderator: Frederikke Ingemann, former international correspondent for TV 2 and DR, and PhD in international politics and 20th-century European history from the Sorbonne.
Attending Slow only requires a standard ticket to the Glyptotek. We recommend that you book your ticket online in advance – this way you will skip the line and save 10% on the price.
Season ticket holder: free entrance. Adult: 135 kr. (at the door 150 kr.) Under 27/students with a valid student card: 108 kr. (at the door 120 kr.) Under 18 years: free entrance.
The ticket includes admission to the museum all day. Tickets can be purchased here. Tickets are non-refundable but may be passed on.
Buy a season ticket and get a discount on many other events as well as in the museum shop and café. Read more here.
Show your ticket in the ticket office and get a corresponding discount if you buy a season ticket on the same day. Contact the ticket office to hear more.
For information about wheelchair accessibility, companion arrangements, etc., read more here.
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Institut Français du Danemark acts as the cultural section of the French Embassy.
Supported by
Augustinus Fonden
Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond
Ny Carlsbergfondet
Institut Français de Paris
Carlsberg
1664
