Based on Carl Jacobsen’s vision of presenting ‘living art for living people’, the New Carlsberg Foundation funds exhibitions that make art accessible to present-day audiences in an original and qualified manner, thus contributing to developing the sense of and appreciation for art in a broad demographic.

The New Carlsberg Foundation also regards the exhibition medium as important for the development of art and art history, supporting art’s constant striving for excellence. With the exhibition funding, the foundation wishes to support the efforts made by Danish museums, art centres and exhibition venues within this field.

The foundation will endeavour to have the range of funded projects reflect breadth and diversity in terms of artistic oeuvres and practices, media, curatorial perspectives, historic periods, geography, gender, art forms, etc.

The foundation believes in the importance of supporting exhibitions in many settings: at established institutions and among emerging art scene protagonists.

Who may apply?

  • Art museums in Denmark
  • Danish art centres
  • Non-commercial exhibition venues with a physical location in Denmark
  • Festivals and similar actors that exhibit or stage significant contemporary art in connection with their events

What can be applied for?

  • All expenses associated with the realisation of exhibitions, such as research and travel, artist fees, shipping, insurance, exhibition scenography, educational initiatives, communication, etc.
  • Costs for the production of works of art by Danish and foreign artists alike, provided that the artists are clearly given reasonable working conditions and that an agreement has been reached in advance regarding ownership, possible sale, etc.

Please note

  • Support for exhibition catalogues must be applied for separately under Publications.
  • The Foundation does not provide funding for salaries of permanent staff.
  • Only one exhibition can be applied for per application, not entire exhibition programs.
  • The same institution may submit only one application per application deadline.
  • Exhibitions opening before the application deadline date are not supported.
  • Graduation exhibitions from art academies are not supported.
  • Open call exhibitions are not supported.

Application deadline

There are two application deadlines in 2026:
9 March and 7 September.
See more about deadlines and response times here.

Application process

  1. Applications must be submitted through the online application system.
  2. The Board assesses the applications which are either fully or partially approved- or rejected.
  3. The applicant receives notification of the decision through the application system. 

Criteria

The New Carlsberg Foundation puts emphasis on the following aspects:

The exhibition should:

  • be original and of high quality.
  • address significant currents and issues in society in relevant ways.
  • take its starting point in Denmark while also applying a global outlook on art.
  • involve professional and passionate educational initiatives that makes art accessible, present and relevant to audiences.
  • Any living artists involved must be remunerated for their contributions.

The application must include

Applications that do not meet the following requirements will not be processed.

  • In the online system, you must enter: Exhibition period, opening hours, visitor numbers for 2025, as well as a project description of max. 5,000 characters. The project description text must still be included in the PDF application itself.
  • In the online system, you must upload: One combined PDF file of max. 10 pages.

The PDF file of (max.) 10 pages must include:

  • Project description – max. 2 pages / 5,000 characters: The project description must address the criteria of the grant and describe the exhibition’s concept, selection of artists and works, outline dissemination strategies, and explain the exhibition’s anchoring and relation to the institution’s programme, profile, and any collection. 
  • Detailed exhibition budget and financing plan. The financing plan must match the budget and show how funds are secured for the realisation of the exhibition. Include the New Carlsberg Foundation, but also e.g. self‑financing, named foundations already applied to or planned to be applied to, other grants, sponsors, and additional income contributing to the realisation.
  • CV/short bio of living artists – max. 1 page per artist. If several artists are involved: make a prioritized selection. 
  • Illustrations closely related to the exhibition – max. 5 pages.

Reporting

When a project is completed, the applicant/institution must submit financial accounts and a short report providing information about the realised exhibition, its educational initiatives, and audience figures.

Further inquiries, please contact:

Application consultant, Ane Bülow, anb@ncf.dk, (+45) 31 24 61 65
Application consultant, Klara Pagh, kpt@ncf.dk, (+45) 61 69 21 12


APPLY HERE