Exhibitions

Leonard Cohen
A CRACK IN EVERYTHING


24. October - 02. August 2020

LEONARD COHEN: A CRACK IN EVERYTHING

24 OCTOBER, 2019 - 2 AUGUST, 2020. REOPENS 26 MAY 2020

EXTENDED Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything will be extended and can be experienced at both GL STRAND and at Nikolaj Kunsthal all the way up until 2 August 2020. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Berlingske
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kristeligt Dagblad
⭐⭐⭐⭐    Børsen

"You can spend days at this exhibition, and there is reason to visit it again and again." - Weekendavisen

Tickets are sold at GL STRAND and Nikolaj Kunsthal. The ticket can be used once at each venue.

The world-renowned novelist, poet, and singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen (Montréal 1934 – Los Angeles 2016) has inspired generations of writers, musicians, and artists. He was an extraordinary poet of sorrow and the human condition, giving voice to what it means to be fully alert to the complexities and desires of both body and soul. We are privileged to have Cohen’s music, words, and performances inhabit both the Kunstforeningen GL STRAND and Nikolaj Kunsthal for six months, offering a critical celebration, loving tribute, and quiet commemoration of a vast artistic achievement, and inspiring life.

Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything is the first exhibition entirely devoted to the imagination and legacy of the influential singer-songwriter, man of letters, and global icon from Montréal, Canada.

Originally conceived by the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, the exhibition brings together commissioned artworks by visual artists, filmmakers, and musicians who have been inspired, influenced or otherwise moved by Cohen’s extraordinary oeuvre.

On view at GL STRAND is a selection of works which feature contextual multimedia installations - immersive multiscreen archival montages highlighting five decades of Cohen’s concert performances; an installation devoted to Cohen in interviews revealing the workings of his mind; an audio environment which gathers commissioned covers of his musical repertoire; and yet another which invites visitors to play an organ keyboard, with individual keys summoning audio files of his poetry, recited by the poet himself - as well as a variety of other artists’ responses to Cohen’s art and life.

The exhibition also includes the installation Listening to Leonard with recorded covers of Cohen songs produced, arranged, and performed by the following musicians and vocalists:

Ariane Moffatt with Orchestre symphonique de Montréal; Aurora; Basia Bulat; Brad Barr; Chilly Gonzales and Jarvis Cocker with Kaiser Quartett; Dear Criminals; Douglas Dare; Feist; Half Moon Run; Julia Holter; Katinka Bjerregaard; Leif Vollebekk; Li’l Andy and Joe Grass; Little Scream; Lou Doillon; Mélanie De Biasio; Moby; Socalled; Steen Jørgensen; The National with Sufjan Stevens, Ragnar Kjartansson, and Richard Reed Parry.

Participating Artists
Kara Blake
Candice Breitz
Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller
Christophe Chassol
Leonard Cohen
Daily Tous Les Jours
Tacita Dean
Kota Ezawa
George Fok
Ari Folman
Jon Rafman
Zach Richter
Taryn Simon 

Participating artists at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND
Kara Blake, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Daily tous les jours, Kota Ezawa, George Fok, Ari Folman, Jon Rafman, Taryn Simon

Participating artists at Nikolaj Kunsthal
Candice Breitz, Christophe Chassol, Tacita Dean, George Fok, Zach Richter

Organized by the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, the exhibition is curated by John Zeppetelli, Director and Chief Curator at the MAC, and Victor Shiffman, Co-Curator. The presentation in Copenhagen is coordinated by Kunstforeningen GL STRAND in collaboration with Nikolaj Kunsthal.

The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC), a state corporation funded by the Gouvernement du Québec, thanks Leonard Cohen for his support of this exhibition. Robert Kory, Adam Cohen and Lorca Cohen provided invaluable assistance in the successful organization of this project.

                                 MAC Logoofficiel Signaturegouv Cropped Black
                                 ____________
                                   Quebinb 1 Copy

The MAC also acknowledges the support of CBC/Radio-Canada and the National Film Board of Canada, as well as Sony Music and Sony ATV.

The exhibition in Copenhagen is made possible by our generous donors A.P. Møller and Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal, The Obel Family Foundation, Konsul George Jorck og Hustru Emma Jorck’s Fond, The City of Copenhagen and The Danish Arts Foundation.

The exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything premiered in the fall of 2017 in Montréal, and was later presented in the spring of 2019 at the Jewish Museum in New York. Following its Copenhagen showing, it will travel in 2020 to the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco.

The exhibition can be seen at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND and Nikolaj Kunsthal from October 24, 2019 to April 13, 2020. One ticket will buy you access to both art galleries.

During the entire exhibition, there will be a wide range of events, including talks, sessions, documentaries, yoga, concerts and intimate concerts organised by Kunstforeningen GL STRAND and Nikolaj Kunsthal.

Courtesy of Old Ideas, LLC

Leonard Cohen Photo: Barry Marsden

Candice Breitz, I’m Your Man (A Portrait of Leonard Cohen), 2017. Shot at the Phi Centre, Montreal, May-June 2017. Nineteen-channel video installation, colour with sound, 40 min., 43 sec., featured on eighteen suspended monitors and one single-screen projection. Collection of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC). Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

Daily tous les jours, I Heard There Was A Secret Chord (after the 2017 work of the same title), 2018. Participatory audio installation, including an octagonal wooden structure, microphones, speakers, transducers, and digital display. Produced in part by the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen

Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

George Fok, Passing Through, 2017. Multichannel video installation, black-and-white and colour with sound, 56 min., 15 sec. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, The Poetry Machine, 2017. Interactive audio/mixed-media installation including organ, speakers, carpet, computer and electronics. All poetry written and performed by Leonard Cohen from Book of Longing, published in 2006 by McClelland & Stewart. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019- 2020. Courtesy of the artists; Luhring Augustine, New York; Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco; and

Kota Ezawa, Cohen 21, 2017. Single-screen video installation. Digital animation, black-and-white with sound, 2 min., 30 sec. Collection of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019- 2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

Tacita Dean, Ear on a Worm, 2017 (film still). 16-mm color film with optical sound, 3 min., 33 sec. Courtesy of the artist; Marian Goodman Gallery, New York and Paris; and Frith Street Gallery, London. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

Zach Richter, Hallelujah, 2017. Virtual reality experience, headset, headphones, computer and electronics, including suspended theatrical drapes. Created by Zach Richter, Bobby Halvorson and Eames Kolar. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

Leonard Cohen Courtesy of Old Ideas, LLC

Ari Folman, Depression Chamber, 2017. Interactive computer-animated video installation, live camera, Kinect sensor, black-and-white and colour with sound, 5 min., 10 sec., including resting platform. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

Christophe Chassol, Cuba in Cohen, 2017. Single-screen video installation, black-and-white with sound, 15 min., 19 sec., including annotated musical scores in a display cabinet. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019- 2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

George Fok, Passing Through, 2017. Multichannel video installation, black-and-white and colour with sound, 56 min., 15 sec. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

Kara Blake, The Offerings, 2017. Five-channel video installation, black-and-white and colour with sound, 35 min. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019- 2020. Courtesy of the artist and archival images © Leonard Cohen Family Trust, CBC/Radio-Canada, and Pete Purnell. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

Listening to Leonard, 2017. Multimedia audio environment with sound recordings of Leonard Cohen compositions produced, arranged, and performed by a group of musicians and vocalists. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

Taryn Simon, The New York Times, Friday, November 11, 2016. The New York Times newspaper (dated November 11, 2016) in glass display cabinet, 1 x 31 x 56 cm; 61 x 31 x 56 cm (display cabinet). Photo: Courtesy of the artist. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

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Courtesy of Old Ideas, LLC

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Leonard Cohen Courtesy of Old Ideas, LLC

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Leonard Cohen Photo: Barry Marsden

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Ari Folman, Depression Chamber, 2017. Interactive computer-animated video installation, live camera, Kinect sensor, black-and-white and colour with sound, 5 min., 10 sec., including resting platform. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

LUK   X

Candice Breitz, I’m Your Man (A Portrait of Leonard Cohen), 2017. Shot at the Phi Centre, Montreal, May-June 2017. Nineteen-channel video installation, colour with sound, 40 min., 43 sec., featured on eighteen suspended monitors and one single-screen projection. Collection of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC). Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

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Christophe Chassol, Cuba in Cohen, 2017. Single-screen video installation, black-and-white with sound, 15 min., 19 sec., including annotated musical scores in a display cabinet. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

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Daily tous les jours, I Heard There Was A Secret Chord (after the 2017 work of the same title), 2018. Participatory audio installation, including an octagonal wooden structure, microphones, speakers, transducers, and digital display. Produced in part by the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen

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Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

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Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

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Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019- 2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

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George Fok, Passing Through, 2017. Multichannel video installation, black-and-white and colour with sound, 56 min., 15 sec. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

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George Fok, Passing Through, 2017. Multichannel video installation, black-and-white and colour with sound, 56 min., 15 sec. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

LUK   X

Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, The Poetry Machine, 2017. Interactive audio/mixed-media installation including organ, speakers, carpet, computer and electronics. All poetry written and performed by Leonard Cohen from Book of Longing, published in 2006 by McClelland & Stewart. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019- 2020. Courtesy of the artists; Luhring Augustine, New York; Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco; and

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Kara Blake, The Offerings, 2017. Five-channel video installation, black-and-white and colour with sound, 35 min. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019- 2020. Courtesy of the artist and archival images © Leonard Cohen Family Trust, CBC/Radio-Canada, and Pete Purnell. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

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Kota Ezawa, Cohen 21, 2017. Single-screen video installation. Digital animation, black-and-white with sound, 2 min., 30 sec. Collection of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019- 2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

LUK   X

Listening to Leonard, 2017. Multimedia audio environment with sound recordings of Leonard Cohen compositions produced, arranged, and performed by a group of musicians and vocalists. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

LUK   X

Tacita Dean, Ear on a Worm, 2017 (film still). 16-mm color film with optical sound, 3 min., 33 sec. Courtesy of the artist; Marian Goodman Gallery, New York and Paris; and Frith Street Gallery, London. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

LUK   X

Taryn Simon, The New York Times, Friday, November 11, 2016. The New York Times newspaper (dated November 11, 2016) in glass display cabinet, 1 x 31 x 56 cm; 61 x 31 x 56 cm (display cabinet). Photo: Courtesy of the artist. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard

LUK   X

Zach Richter, Hallelujah, 2017. Virtual reality experience, headset, headphones, computer and electronics, including suspended theatrical drapes. Created by Zach Richter, Bobby Halvorson and Eames Kolar. Installation view of the exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything presented at Nikolaj Kunsthal, 2019-2020. Photo: Jan Søndergaard