Danish Originals

From his studio in Vesterbro, Sønderborg-born Danish photographer SØREN SOLKÆR is home in Copenhagen after an exhibition opening in London. Søren talks about the evolving role of his camera over his three-decade long oeuvre of long-term global projects such as Surface, Photographs Posed, Passage, Souls, Black Sun, and One, focused on people, nature, and spirituality, and his relationship to patience. And he shares his plans for the Adventurer's Club where he is a lifetime member.
Søren selects a work by Christian Lemmerz from the SMK collection.
https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS8399
(Photographer: Søren Solkær)
This conversation with Gregers Heering occurred on November 3, 2025.
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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:
website: https://danishoriginals.com/
email: [email protected]
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And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From his home in Portugal, suburban Copenhagen-born Danish serial entrepreneur HENRIK ZILLMER talks about AirHelp, one of many disruptive tech companies he founded that brought him to Silicon Valley and New York. He describes the concept of Justice-as-a-Service, his background in comedy and the military, and the cultural nuances in entrepreneurship in Europe, the US, and Asia. And he shares his newest ventures that take him away from technology into nature and the physical world.
Henrik selects a work by Wilhelm Marstrand from the SMK collection.
https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS8833
(Photographer: York Hovest)
This conversation with Asger Hussain occurred on October 22, 2025.
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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:
website: https://danishoriginals.com/
email: [email protected]
----------
And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From The Royal Danish Theatre, Dallas-born, Detroit-raised, and Copenhagen-based American-Danish ballet dancer HOLLY DORGER recalls arriving in Denmark 18 years ago at age 18 to join The Royal Danish Ballet, where she subsequently was promoted from corps de ballet to soloist and principal dancer. Holly explains her at times bumpy and lonely road as an American creative in Denmark, her connection to her audiences via social media, and being knighted at age 26 by HM Queen Margrethe.
Holly selects a work by an unknown artist from the SMK collection.
https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS993
(Photographer: Samantha Zauscher)
This conversation with Gregers Heering occurred on October 20, 2025.
----------
We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:
website: https://danishoriginals.com/
email: [email protected]
----------
And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From his home in Washington DC, Ravnsnæs-born Danish counselor of science and innovation TORBEN ORLA NIELSEN explains his new role with the Danish Embassy tracking the political framework of the US research environment as it impacts Danish research. Following seven years in Boston's Innovation Centre Denmark, Torben, a diplomat, navigates the evolving US research priorities and funding in order to assist US collaborations with Danish universities and companies.
Torben selects a work by an unknown artist from the SMK collection.
https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KKSgb44667
(Private photograph)
This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on October 17, 2025.
----------
We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:
website: https://danishoriginals.com/
email: [email protected]
----------
And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From her home in Valby, Copenhagen, Elsinore-born Danish denim and jeans designer CHRISTINE DETLEFSEN finds her inspiration from the vintage world while combining sustainable and responsible innovations in fiber, fabric, and washing. Trained at Levi's, Christine recalls the years working in New York and Los Angeles, and executive producing a documentary about the unique cultural history of jeans. And she walks through how denim design requires an artistic and engineering mindset equally.
Christine selects a work by Wolfgang Tillman from the SMK collection.
https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KKS1996-66/32
(Private photograph)
This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on October 13, 2025.
----------
We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:
website: https://danishoriginals.com/
email: [email protected]
----------
And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst