Exhibiting CoBrA – Australian Gallery Composition Collaborates with Peter Grossman
Composition, a gallery showroom in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, will be collaborating with renowned Danish art collector and dealer Peter Grossman in an upcoming exhibition. For the first time in Australia, the exhibition will display rare artworks from the CoBrA movement alongside the works of other prominent Danish artists.
Located in Sydney’s Avalon Beach, Composition offers a curated collection of vintage objects, interior design elements and prints. During a self-guided architectural tour of Europe, Director Claire Perini discovered a missing niche from Australia’s offerings – curated design from the world’s most recognised 20th-century designers. Composition partners with other 20th-century specialists throughout Australia and, since opening, has seen significant success in the industry with collaborations and partnerships across Australia and internationally.
This beautiful collaboration between Claire and Peter arose naturally. During Claire’s inaugural visit to Denmark, she forged a friendship with Peter, who became a source of inspiration and introduced Claire to a network of remarkable contacts and evolved into a cherished friend. The exhibition brings to life Peter’s dream of visiting Australia while also serving as his final exhibition after a distinguished career in the art and design realm.
As such, the exhibition will celebrate the CoBrA art movement, short for “Copenhagen, Brussels, Amsterdam,” which emerged in the aftermath of World War II in Copenhagen, Belgium and The Netherlands, and played a significant role in the development of European avant-garde art. The movement was characterised by its experimental focus and rejection of conventional artistic norms, favouring individual expression, vibrant colours and abstract forms. Key figures included artists such as Asger Jorn, Karel Appel, ‘Corneille’ Guillaume Beverloo and Pierre Alechinsky. The movement’s legacy continues to influence contemporary art and remains a testament to the power of artistic freedom and collective creativity.
CoBrA artworks have previously exhibited at the Tate Modern in London, Kunsthalle Mannheim in Berlin, Blum & Poe in New York and many more. However, CoBrA art has never been exhibited in Australia, which is why this exhibition is set to be a landmark event in Australia’s creative elaboration. The exhibition will also feature works from other prominent Danish artists from the 20th century such as Richard Mortensen, Anne Vilsbøll, Anne Tholstrup, Egill Jacobsen and Carl-Henning Pedersen.
Presenting Peter’s private collection to the Australian market for an exhibition centered around CoBrA is a monumental occasion both personally and professionally for Composition. The exhibition itself will host three days of events featuring live music, speeches, food and drinks. The festivities will offer traditional Danish food including smørrebrød and Danish folk music to create an immersive and memorable experience for visitors. The exhibition will run from November 16th to 18th. Works will be on show until December 10th.
