Artist of the day: Artist of the Day, October 4, 2023: Jens Galschiøt, a Danish sculptor (#1922)

Jens Galschiøt (1954) is a Danish sculptor best known for the Pillar of Shame. Galschiøt moved to Odense in 1973, and in 1985 he opened a 2,000-square-metre (22,000 sq ft) combined foundry, studio, Gallery and sculpture park. In 1990, Galschiøt, Erik Mortensen and Jean Voigt, created the sculpture The Ringwearer's Jacket, which was commissioned by the Clothing Industry's Union of Denmark for Queen Margrethe II’s 50th birthday. Galschiøt contributed work to the Seville Expo '92.

Jens Galschiot is a complex artist whose work incorporates elements of installation art, conceptual art, happening, performance art, and Street Art with clear references to "social sculptures" (Joseph Beuys), Symbolism and Art Nouveau. Jens Galschiot mainly works with sculptures to fight the injustice in the world, and puts them up in big squares and cities all around the world. The sculptures are mainly made in bronze and paid for with his own money.

In 1997, he created the Pillar of Shame in Hong Kong. This became the start of a series of sculptures with the same name when he created a second in Mexico in 1999 and a third in Brazil in 2000.

In 2008, Galschiøt started The Color Orange campaign against alleged violations of human rights in China. He was denied entry to Hong Kong, where he had intended to paint the Pillar of Shame orange.

His artistic output covers a wide field of expression; from jewelry and small fine figures to giant, politically charged sculptures. He is among the best known Danish artists abroad. His reputation extends from Hong Kong and Mexico, through to Germany, Spain, and the United States Apart from clothing sculptures Jens Galschiøt creates international happenings to highlight the current imbalance in the world.

Jens Galschiøt is the founder of the organization Aidoh (Art In Defence Of Humanism)

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