Michelangelo Imperfect exhibtion at SMK - The National Gallery of Denmark
From March 29, it will be possible to experience the iconic Michelangelo Buonarroti in Copenhagen, when SMK - The National Gallery of Denmark presents the most comprehensive display of his sculptural work seen in 150 years.
If one were to point to a single artist who has contributed fundamentally to the modern perception of art as self-expression in Western culture, it would be the Italian artist Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), who is especially famous for his sculpture of David, carved in Florence, the painted ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, and his design of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
The impossible exhibition
From 29 March, a bronze David and thirty-nine other sculptures reproduced after Michelangelo can be seen at the National Gallery of Denmark (SMK) in Copenhagen in the exhibition Michelangelo Imperfect. Not since the celebration of the 400th anniversary of Michelangelo’s birth in Florence in 1875 has so comprehensive a selection of the artist’s sculptural production been gathered in one place.
Michelangelo’s focus was almost exclusively on the human body, especially the male form, in which he found endless scope for expressing thoughts, emotions and tensions. Already in his lifetime, he was described as ‘il divino’ – the divine. But his art also revolves around the imperfect, the unfinished and the fragile; around being in a state of becoming, anxious, wavering and hesitating. This is apparent in his biblical, mythological and allegorical subjects alike.
This is the impossible exhibition: You would never be able to gather Michelangelo’s original sculptures in one place. But with SMK’s collection of historical reproductions in plaster and newly produced facsimiles of the highest quality, we are able to present a perhaps imperfect, yet strikingly complete, overall account of a body of work that changed art forever and remains remarkably poignant today,’ says the exhibition’s curator, Matthias Wivel
Bringing (almost) all Michelangelo’s sculptures together
The basis for SMK’s exhibition is its exquisite collection of historical casts after Michelangelo sculptures in the Royal Cast Collection. Most of these were commissioned and cast in 1895–98 for the then-new National Gallery of Denmark (today SMK). The collection encompasses the majority of Michelangelo’s most famous sculptures.
In order to get as close as possible to a complete presentation of Michelangelo's sculptures, SMK complements these historical plaster casts with newly commissioned and -produced 3D-modelled and cast sculptures – so-called facsimiles – produced in Madrid by Factum Foundation.
This enables SMK to bring together under one roof reproductions of masterpieces that, in the original, are located in many different places and, with only a few exceptions, are never moved, either because they are too fragile to travel, too difficult to move, or, quite simply, too culturally significant. The exhibition also includes original sculptural models (maquettes), drawings, and letters from Michelangelo’s own hand.
This will be a unique opportunity to experience Michelangelo’s sculptural art as a whole. At the same time, it offers a chance to reflect on the role played by reproduction and copying in art and in our understanding of art. Reproductions have always been part of the way we create and perceive art, but have been somewhat neglected in a museum context in recent times. We see great potential here,’ says the exhibition’s curator, Matthias Wivel
Facts about the exhibition
- The exhibition runs from 29 March – 31 August 2025
- Free admission with the Copenhagen Card
- The most comprehensive presentation of Michelangelo’s sculptural work the world has seen in 150 years gathered in one place
- The showcased sculptures consist of plaster casts from The Danish Royal Cast Collection combined with new 3D-modelled cast sculptures called facsimiles.
- It's due to these new 3D-modelled casts that the exhibition is possible.
- The exhibition includes original sculptural models (maquettes), drawings, and letters from Michelangelo’s own hand.
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