Born in Copenhagen 1970, Denmark (DK)
Lives and works in Copenhagen. Educated at Fatamorgana - The Danish School of Photography. Nicolai Howalts photographic works carry references to the tradition of documentarism. His work is typically based in specific environments. Boxer (2003) was a photographic portrait project about young boys shot before and after a match. In 2001 Howalt presented the series 3X1 about a family living in a suburban counsil flat. His recent project How to Hunt, 2005 is made together with Trine Søndergaard. It balances between fascinated studies of the phenomenon of hunting on the one hand, and a series of beautiful landscapes heralding back to Romanticism on the other. He has received numerous grants and awards since 1997. His work is held in collections both in Europe and US.
Solo Exhibitions
2010
Aros; Århus Kunstmuseum, Denmark
2009
Car Crash Studies; Martin Asbæk Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2008
Musée Historique et des Porcelaines; with Søndergaard, Ville de Nyon, France
2007
Hunting Scenes; with Søndergaard, Lys over Lolland, Denmark (cat)
The Parisian Laundry; with Søndergaard, Mois de la Photo, Montréal, Canada (cat)
Fotografiets Hus; with Søndergaard, Stockholm, Sweden
How to Hunt; with Søndergaard, Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York, USA
How to Hunt; with Søndergaard, Martin Asbæk Projects, Denmark
2006
Galerie Poller NY, New York, US
ParisPhoto2006; with Søndergaard, Martin Asbæk Projects, Paris, France (cat)
Faaborg Art Museum; with Søndergaard, Faaborg, Denmark (cat)
Galerie Poller; with Søndergaard, Frankfurt, Germany
2005
Martin Asbæk Project; with Søndergaard, Marts, Denmark
Nordic House, Cracow, Polen
2004
Kaunas Photo, Kaunas, Lituania
Center for Contemporary Art - Århus, Denmark
Gallerie Schüster, Frankfurt, Germany
Vensyssel Art Museum, Denmark
2003
Galerie Asbæk, Copenhagen, Denmark
2001
Galerie Asbæk, Copenhagen, Denmark
Center for Photography, Stockholm, Sweden
1997
Museet for Fotokunst, Odense, Denmark
Group Exhibitions
2008
Collisions; Maison du Danemark, Paris, France
Spring Time; Groupshow at Henningsen Contemporary Copenhagen
Unreal; with Trine Søndergaard, Astrid Kruse, Jonna Karanka, Susanna Majuri. Helsinki, Finland
Another Adventures; with Søndergaard. Frankfurt, Germany (cat)
Hunting Grounds; with Trine Søndergaard, Ebbe Stub Wittrub. Max Estrella Gallery, Madrid, Spain
Grønningen; with Søndergaard, Bornholms Art Museum, Denmark
On Hunting; with Søndergaard, Gallery Andreas Grimm, Münich, Germany.
Art Basel; Solo-projects, (artfair)
Danish Devils; with Søndergaard, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, Denmark. (cat)
ARCO 08" (artfair) Madrid, Spain
Berlin Art Forum; (artfair) Berlin, Germany
2007
Reality Crossing; 2.Fotofestival Kunsthalle Mannheim, Denmark (cat)
New Photography from Denmark, Houston, US.
Lianzhou Fotobienale; with Søndergaard, Ebbe Stub & Astrid K. Jensen (cat)
Salon 1" Museumsbygningen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mia Sundberg Gallery; with Søndergaard, Stockholm, Sweden
Existencias; with Søndergaard, MUSAC - Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y Leon, Spain
Summer in the City II; with Søndergaard, Martin Asbæk Projects, Denmark
New Journal; with Søndergaard, Møstingshus, Denmark
Fondation Neuflize Vie: Acquisitions for the MEP (1999-2006); with Trine Søndergaard, Maison Europeenne de la Photographie Ville de Paris, France
Achtung! Kunst!; The National Museum of Photography, Denmark
Hunter & Gatherer; with Søndergaard, Gallery Ferenbalm-Gurbrü Station, Germany
The Animal Show; with Søndergaard, Galleri Hornbæk, Denmark
2006
Scandinavian Photo II: Denmark; Foto Fest, Texas, US. (cat)
Teen Beat; the Society for Contemporary Photography, Kansas, US
Summer in the City; with Søndergaard. Martin Asbaek Projects, Denmark
Another Adventures; with Søndergaard. Style Cube Zandari, Seoul, Korea. (cat) The Open Book; The National Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark (cat)
Artists´ Choice; with Søndergaard, Bendixen Contemporary Art, Denmark
2005
Spells of Childhood; Tampere Art Museum, Finland (cat)
New Photography from Denmark; Faulcener Gallery, Iowa, US.
Contemporary Photo Books; Rocket Gallery, London, UK
2004
Martin Asbæk Projects, Galerie Asbæk, Denmark
Distance; Institute of Contemporary Art, Dunaujvaros, Hungary
Hereford Photography Festival; Hereford, UK. (cat)
Don´t mention it; The National Museum, Denmark
Something different; Fotografisk Center, Denmark
Familliebilleder; Brænderigaarden, Viborg, Denmark (cat)
2002
Home Sweet Home; Århus Art Museum, Denmark (cat)
Surprise; Galerie Asbæk, Copenhagen, Denmark
2001
Never Ending Story; Billboard, Marts, Copenhagen, Denmark
2000
Longterm Projects; with Søndergaard, Galerie Asbæk, Copenhagen, Denmark
1999
Fatamorgana; Øksnehallen, Copenhagen, Denmark (cat)
2. Maj's Jubilæum's Udstilling; Rejsestaldene, Copenhagen, Denmark (cat)
From the Hidden; The National Museum of Photo, Denmark
Ung Fotografi; Birkerød Kunstforening, Birkerød, Denmark
1998
Meanwhile; Fotografisk Center, Copenhagen, Denmark. (cat)
1000 year 10; Museum for Modern Art, Roskilde, Denmark
Throughout the years of 2000-03 the award-winning photographer Nicolai Howalt followed young Danish boys boxing in Denmark and abroad. The result is the book 'Boxer'. The book portrays a series of young boxers where Howalt's starting point is to capture the moment before and after the match. A sense of spirit, emotion, expectation and energy characterize the photographs.
The double portraits convey the dreams of boyhood, puberty and identity. The boxing match stages a platform for Howalt who otherwise refrains from describing the inner concerns of boxing or the competitive elements of the sport. Boxing becomes a symbol for the match between fear versus courage, dream versus reality. It is also about the age dividing a boy from being a man and to be on your own for the first time. As a teenager Howalt used to box, and as...
Dans How to Hunt (Comment Chasser), Trine Søndergaard & Nicolai Howalt utilisent la chasse moderne pour explorer la relation de l’homme à la nature. Aujourd’hui la chasse peut être vue comme une performance ritualisée de quelque chose qui était autrefois un besoin humain fondamental. C’est aussi un thème classique de l’histoire de l’art, des peintures rupestres de la Renaissance. Trine Søndergaard & Nicolai Howalt ont voulu placer ce thème historique dans un contexte moderne où, au moins dans un occident post-industriel riche, il peut être considéré comme un symbole de ce qu’est la bonne vie et de la nostalgie d’une sorte de relation authentique à la nature.
Ce fil est au cœur de How to Hunt. Il n’y a pas de sang, pas d...
Denmark in Transition is an art project dealing with contemporary Danish landscape. Fourteen of Denmark’s best photographers traveled to every corner of Denmark – each in their own direction, to their own area, and at their own pace. Their assignment was to create a picture of the Danish landscape. Each photographer contributes a unique project with either a geographical or conceptual point of departure. The themes range from ‘boundaries’ and ‘coasts’ to ‘nature rehabilitation’ and ‘a belt across Jutland’.
The photographers have interpreted, expanded and updated the landscape as an artistic and cultural-historical motif. We meet moors and toxic dumps, field boundaries and suburban architecture, motorways and playgrounds, coastal erosion and nature reserve...
Bruce Silverstein is pleased to announce Car Crash Studies, a thought provoking photographic study of cars that have been involved in severe and potentially fatal accidents. The series moves between documentation and abstraction. While the car crash studies are typographical in nature, seeming in some instances to be closer to sterile accident report photographs, the subject matter most obviously begs the viewer to confront the human fear of trauma and death.
Several of the images are vividly abstract and look more like landscapes than slashed up metal. Collided bodyworks, dents and cracks in varnish appear as highly enlarged details in the monumental works. These ‘color plains’ become the ultimate instance of beauty created from suffering, pain and destruction.
Although Car Crash Studies is specificall...