Mutual Understanding Is the Foundation of Sino-Danish Cooperation – An Interview with Danish Minister for Culture Marianne Jelved

China Today: What will the Danish Cultural Center in Beijing focus on?

Marianne Jelved: If we take a global view of Danish Cultural Centers in other countries, we can see that one consistent feature is that they take root in local communities and branch out, forming a sturdy network. They have to do this to gain the biggest advantage in cooperation with local cultural institutions and players. Only through working with cultural counterparts can the centers grow and bear fruit. The success of the Danish Cultural Season, which opened on October 24 and will run until June 2015, is down to effective cooperation with the Chinese Ministry of Culture. An important mission for the Danish Cultural Center in Beijing is to promote more collaboration between Denmark and China. Such a relationship, however, cannot be developed overnight. It needs a foundation of profound understanding and respect for Chinese people and culture.

China Today: The Cultural Season is the largest Danish cultural event since diplomatic ties between the two countries were established. What was the initial thinking behind the event? And will it become a regular feature on the cultural calendar?

Marianne Jelved: The Danish Cultural Season will last 10 months and will see events throughout China. One of our aims is to enable artists from Denmark and China to inspire and learn from each other. Our cultural communication will not end with the Cultural Season. We take a long-term view on cultural exchanges.

China Today: What other collaborations are planned in the field of culture between Denmark and China?

Marianne Jelved: Next year we will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. In those 65 years, we have observed uninterrupted interaction between our two countries. But we are also willing to go deeper with China, especially in culture. Cultural interaction is built on a foundation of mutual trust and understanding between the two peoples, which is also an essential part of bilateral cooperation as a whole.

China Today: What impresses you most about Beijing? Is there anything in common between Denmark and China in terms of culture?

Marianne Jelved: I visited Beijing’s hutongs one morning. Hutong culture is unfamiliar to Danish people and I never really knew much about it. I believe we need to strive mutually to comprehend histories and cultures. This can inspire fresh ideas and make cultural interaction more meaningful.

On October 24, I unveiled the art work Bus Station by Bjørn Nørgaard, a sculptor and professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Surprisingly, his works express not only Danish culture, but combine elements of Denmark and China. It is art, therefore, that ties us closely. Art can help us find what we have in common and this is the value of Nørgaard’s work: creating more chances for international exchanges. Since art can broaden our horizons, transnational and intercultural exchanges are particularly meaningful.

 Danes are curious people and China’s long history, the most mysterious aspect of China, is fascinating for Danish people.

 I know the tales of Hans Christian Andersen have a special place in the hearts of the Chinese. Andersen’s unforgettable characters have made him as widely known in China as he is in Denmark. His tales touch readers’ hearts – whether they are in China or Denmark – through narrating the universal value of humanity. Thus, we can see another common point of interest between the two countries. In my opinion, there will be more cultural exchanges between Denmark and China in the future.

China Today: In the “Fairy Tale Fashion Show” in association with Kopenhagen Fur, the world’s largest fur auction house, during China Fashion Week, designers from China and Denmark collaborated in creating spectacular outfits inspired by Andersen’s fairy tales and made waves in the fields of culture and fashion. What do you think of this joint creative venture?

Marianne Jelved: I think the most important point of cultural communication is to enable better understanding of each other and our needs. The more we understand each other, the more beneficial our cooperation can be. I also believe that there is a close link between the development of cultural communication and the extent of mutual understanding. The “Fairy Tale Fashion Show” was a good example of this extension of cultural exchanges. 

Denmark and China have different cultures and historical backgrounds. We are at opposite ends of the earth. But our experiences bind us. Whether in political or economic cooperation, or in artistic, cultural and innovation cooperation, we have been persistent in finding solutions together, achieving common goals and building the bridge connecting our two countries. In Denmark, we often say that we can break convention together and work out something even greater than the sum of individual parts.

 In another exciting development, I have just had a conversation with representatives from the Chinese film industry and have been told that Chinese filmmakers are very interested in Danish films. How Denmark responds to this remains to be seen, but the most vital aspect is that film can provide another channel for us to understand each other further. As I mentioned before, art can tie us closely. Art is vague, intangible and hard to define. I think the communication and development of art play significant roles in cultural interaction. Specifically, with further understanding of each other, we will come to know where else we can cooperate, for example, in energy, climate, and environment. Thus, we will discover mutual understanding is not confined to the fields of culture and art.