This Thursday I was fortunate to interview Karin Elsbudóttir, director of Nordatlantens Brygge, or The North Atlantic House in Copenhagen. Karin was kind enough to tell me about what they do at the North Atlantic House and why you might be interested in checking it out.
In fact I can give you one reason to be at the North Atlantic House this week! Greenlandic contemporary artist Ivínguak’ Stork Høegh’s exhibition You Gaze On Me As I Gaze Upon You is still running until Sunday, February 16. Catch it while you can!
Read on to learn more.
About Karin and the North Atlantic House
Karin Elsbudóttir is proud to have been a part of the North Atlantic House since the beginning. Hailing from the Faroe Islands, Karin has a background in culture, litterature and languages. Like many other Faroese folk seeking to continue their education and gain experience in Denmark, Karin settled in Copenhagen in the 1990’s. Before moving to Copenhagen she studied an exam.art. in Nordic, especially Faroes Languages and Litterature at the University of the Faroe Islands and a MA in Modern Culture and Litterature at Copenhagen University. After her two children were born, she decided to stay in Copenhagen.
In the year 2000, Karin caught wind of a small notice in the newspaper on a forthcoming center for the North Atlantic in Copenhagen. Given her Faroese background and specialization she was determined to get in one way or another and so she did! Karin worked at the North Atlantic House for its first few years and then promoted to director in 2011. A position she has held since.
I then asked Karin to explain what goes on in the North Atlantic House. How does the institution contribute to strengthening North Atlantic culture and cooperation here in Denmark?
The North Atlantic House is a private and commercial foundation. The main function is to rent out the restored warehouse building in Christianshavn, spanning about 7000 square meters. Highlights of the building complex include The Embassy of Iceland and the two Representation Offices for the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Furthermore the North Atlantic House houses some conference rooms that are rented out to various companies. Notably on their premises you can find the restaurant Barr, situated in the location of the original award-winning Noma who now leases it out to them.
The profits from revenue are used to pay employees, maintain the building and finance culture programs to promote Faroese, Icelandic and Greenlandic culture.
The History of Denmark and the North Atlantic
It can be tricky to explain the connection between Denmark and the North Atlantic countries. For example, Iceland is an independent country but the Faroes and Greenland are considered part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Karin thinks going back in history can help.
The Faroe Islands were first settled around the 4th century AD and Iceland around the 8th Century, just a little bit before the Vikings Age inhabited the countries. These early settlements in the Faroes and Iceland were self-governing, and it can be said that they established their own form of democracies. The islands were not Danish, by any means, we can think of them as distinct Nordic countries, like Sweden and Norway today. There was however a shift in powers as the King of Norway and later Denmark seized control of the island nations. That’s how the Faroes and Iceland became a part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The history of Greenland is quite different, however. Greenland has had human settlement as far back as 4500 years ago! In the last millennium (i.e. from ~1000 AD onwards), Greenland was inhabited by the Inuit and partially inhabited by Norse settlers. Nordic interest in Greenland waned however, until in 1721, the Norwegian-Danish missionary Hans Egede convinced many merchants and King Frederik IV. of Denmark and Norway to establish a Colonial Company in Greenland. So the 18th century was the first time Danish presence in Greenland actually began, so very very recently. As a result, Denmark’s claim to Greenland has been weaker and in fact Norway contested Danish rule over Greenland between 1921-1933.
The Danish Empire in the North Atlantic was not meant to last forever. Icelandic nationalism prevailed in the 20th century, where Icelanders in 1918 succeeded in negotiating autonomy from Denmark but retained the Danish King. The big turning point for all four nations came through the Second World War. When Denmark fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, the UK and the US immediately retaliated by occupying the North Atlantic countries. So throughout the war Greenland, Iceland and the Faroes were occupied and administered by the British and Americans, shaking Denmark’s firm grasp over the three nations. Under the support of the Allies, Icelanders successfully proclaimed a republic independent from Denmark in 1944. The future of Greenland and the Faroes was yet to be determined.
In the Post-War, Greenland and the Faroes were returned back to Danish rule. The Faroese tried to organize a referendum for independence similar to Iceland, but their independence referendum was unrecognized. Still undeterred, the Faroes shifted to a policy of seeking autonomy instead of full independence. The Faroese thus negotiated Home Rule in 1948 and further autonomy from Denmark in 2005. Greenlanders also followed suit in their own pursuit of Greenlandic independency and secured Home Rule in 1979, and further autonomy and self-rule in 2009.
Today The Faroes, Greenland and Denmark represent a community, called the rigsfællesskab in Danish or Danish Realm in English. The Danish Realm is a dynamic entity whose nature is ever-changing, both politically and culturally. Right now, we are living through a period of great change as both Greenland and the Faroes are pursuing an even further degree of independence. But it’s not so simple. In Greenland and the Faroes, on one hand people are talking about self-sufficiency yet on the other hand they acknowledge globalization. There is a need for connections, international trade, cooperation in security and technological developments; as well as sustainability and natural resources. Suffice to say, there is a balance to be found between national interests and global cooperation, both within and outside of the Danish Realm. So there is an ongoing need to reevaluate what the Danish Realm and the North Atlantic community represents.
The North Atlantic Folk in Denmark
“The North Atlantic Folks are educated in Danish language and affairs and they can adapt. But the Danes know a lot less about our culture, nature and history than we know about theirs.”
There is a surprising number of North Atlantic folk who come to settle in Denmark, about 17.000 Greenlanders and 20.000 Faroese people. Denmark presents them with many opportunities, but also challenges. So I asked Karin how easy it is for a North Atlantic person to fit into Denmark.
As Danish citizens, North Atlantics have access to free education, free healthcare and these privileges provide good options for employment, study and for settling across Denmark. At the same time, unfortunately many of the Greenlanders in Denmark find themselves faced with prejudice and discrimination that negate those amenities. Studies show that Greenlanders struggle to access education and healthcare; let alone to take a job on equal footing with the Danes.
As a Faroese herself, Karin believes a big reason for this is that the Danish population is not particularly conscious about North Atlantic identities. That is why The North Atlantic House is working purposefully to raise awareness of the North Atlantic countries and to create a more nuanced understanding between them and Denmark.
In light of recent events, I also asked Karin if Danes seem to recognize the situation of the Greenlanders or if these are invisible issues.
There has been a growing attention in Danish media on the political issues in Greenland, where some serious cases are being investigated and reexamined. And there is also some focus on the struggle for a Greenlander residing in Denmark. Language barriers between Greenlanders and Danes are one factor and so are cultural differences. It can be a challenge to identify as a Greenlander in Denmark or to feel included by the Danes.
Karin also emphasizes that Greenlandic culture – in addition to being a part of the Nordic countries and culture – also shares its roots with the Inuit culture in Canada. While the Faroese and Icelanders may face some minor cultural diversity, these are more marked for Greenlanders who – apart from Danish – speak a totally different language.
In Greenland, Iceland and Faroes the children at school are being taught in Danish language. Although Danish, Faroese and Icelandic all share a similar origin from the old Norse language the dialects of Faroese and Icelandic can seem unfamiliar to Danes. Not to mention Greenlandic comes from a different language family altogether, so it’s nearly impossible for the uninitiated Dane to comprehend a Greenlander unless the two of them agree to speak either Danish or English. So the North Atlantic House takes on a challenging role in communicating North Atlantic culture and current affairs to the Danish society. All in all, it’s important to recognize that the four nations have close historical ties and maintain ongoing cooperation.
Elevating North Atlantic voices in Denmark
Finally, I asked Karin about the North Atlantic House’s efforts to elevate North Atlantic voices in Denmark. Especially, with respect to Greenlanders, in light of recent events.
The North Atlantic House has always been a platform for North Atlantic experiences and importantly one inclusive of Greenlandic voices. As a cultural mediator, The North Atlantic House hosts a broad range of events. Concerts, film festivals, music festivals, discussions and debates are some events you can expect to see focusing both on historical and current issues from the four countries. The North Atlantic House is also a stage for dissemination of research in the humanities and natural sciences related to the North Atlantic.
One of the current exhibitions is contemporary artist Ivínguak` Stork Høegh‘s You Gaze On Me As I Gaze Upon You exhibit. The Greenlandic artist explores how Danish artists tended to exoticize Greenland and Greenlanders; and her collages put Greenlanders outside of their stereotypical roles. The exhibit lasts until Sunday, February 16, so be sure to catch it while you can!
In Fall 2025, the North Atlantic House will be hosting a new exhibit with an artist from Greenland: Storis (Big Ice, sounds like ‘Stories’) featuring the work of Isle Hessner. And at the same time, they are doing an overview exhibition showcasing the work of various other Greenlandic artists. That will be under the title Forbindelser (Connections) in reference to how the Greenlanders are connected to each other and to Denmark and a globalized world.
Later in March of this year, The North Atlantic House will also host their annual film festival “Nordatlantiske Filmdage,” from the 6th-16th of March. They will be presenting both current feature films, documentaries and short films; especially focused on Greenland. The young and talentful director Christoffer Stenbakken will be presenting his unique film The Thief, which has yet to premier at this year’s Berlinale festival. And there is also another well known Greenlandic director Malik Kleist, who will be showing a new horror feature: Den Sorte Engel, ‘The Black Angel’
If you are fond of music, you are invited to join the cafe concerts on Fridayafternoons, if you come in through the boutique. The cafe concerts especially feature young and not-so-well-known artists and it might even be their first gig in front of an audience. Other times established artists affiliated with the North Atlantic may also make surprise appearances, but it’s all very informal – with free admittance and last for about half an hour.
Then there is also the annual Arctic Festival, where the North Atlantic House hosts some 3000 visitors over a weekend of talks, research and debates about the Arctic.
The North Atlantic House offers a broad range of events to appeal to a lot of diverse groups. One in particular that they prioritize is their (free) educational tours and courses for schools, often booked months in advance. Karin believes that it is a big responsibility to convey the nuances of the North Atlantic to children and teenagers who represent the future of Denmark. The nearby Tranhuset is also under restoration, as Karin and staff are working on transforming the building into an educational center.
Through all of their projects, the North Atlantic House hopes that they can help spread awareness about the North Atlantic countries, creating better understanding and deeper relationships. A very admirable goal.
