Olafur Eliasson | When We Dead Awaken | Gammel Strand, Copenhagen

When We Dead Awaken marks the 200th anniversary of Gammel Strand, one of Denmark’s very first cultural institutions. Olafur Eliasson’s Inverted Campfire Series, 2006 is part of the exhibition. 

Olafur Eliasson’s Inverted Campfire Series has an almost painterly quality. He captured the Icelandic tradition of lighting bonfires on New Year’s Eve to burn the old burdens and banish the evil spirits of the past year. Ten black-and-white photogravures show the scenery from a distance. By inverting the images, the depicted people themselves become the ghostly figures they try to dispel.

When We Dead Awaken is on view at Gammel Strand, Copenhagen until 11 January 2026