Frans Kannik

Frans Kannik (24 July 1949 – 28 July 2011^[1]) was educated in Serigraph (screen printing) in 1968. He also studied calligraphy in Oslo between 1971 and 1974. As an artist, he was generally self-educated. He was a multifaceted artist that expressed in a wide range of paintings, graphics, installation art, performance arts and sculptures. The fact that Frans Kannik was also a sculptor may be difficult for future generations to recognize. He made numerous sculptures in plastic, gypsum, cement, foamrubber and the like, but all the sculptures and materials from the installations were destroyed after the end of the exhibition.

The early artist years

Beginning in 1980, Frans Kannik quickly became an important figure in the Danish art scene. He was one of the founders of the artistic workshop cooperative Leifsgade 22 at Islands Brygge in Copenhagen, which had a central role in the 1980s neo-expressionistic development. The main part of his work was figurative painting with the naked human form at the dominant motif. The human body is painted in a classic, idealistic shape with movement as the principal theme. He often did not paint on traditional canvases but used an assemblage of materials such as blankets, linens, corrugated cardboard, plastic, vinyl etc. In the later years, Frans Kannik worked alone with his artwork and models in his studio at Frederiksberg.

Exhibits, art installations and books

1981 – Hvidovre Bibliotek (Hvidovre Library) – Abstract collage 1982 – Galleri 14 K 1982 – Kunstnernes Sommerudstilling (Summer exhibition for Artists) – Abstract vertical sculpture 1982 – Lyngby Kunstforening, Sophienholm (Lynby Art Club, Sophienholm) – Art installation with some members of Leifgade 22. 1982/83 – Nordic Textile Triennial 1982 – Domus Vista, Valby – Live performance art film 1983 – Aalborg Kunstpavillon (Aalborg Art Pavilion) 1983 – Lyngby Kunstbiblioteket (Lyngby Art Library) – Art installation 1983 – Tranegården, Gentofte Kommunes Kunstbibliotek (Gentofte Art Library) – Exhibition with Anita Jørgensen 1983 – Valseværket – Art installation painted directly on the wall 1983 – Musikhus (Concert venue), Århus – With Leifgade 22 and other artists 1984 – Leifgade 22 – Workshop exhibition 1984 – Filosofgangen Odense – With Leifgade 22 1984 – Kunstforeningen Gammelstrand (Art Club Gammelstrand) – With Leifgade 22 1985 – Various locations in Denmark – Sammenslutningen af Danske Kunstforeninger (The Association of Danish Art Clubs) 1985 – Skovhuset – Hvedekorn med Rødder gennem 65 år (Wheat Seed with Roots throughout 65 years) – Installation "The birth of Venus". 1985 – Brandts Pakhus (Brandts Warehouse) – With Leifgade 22 and other artists 1985 – Nordjylland Kunstmuseum (Art Museum in Northern Jutland) – With Liefsgarde 22 1985 – Langelinie, Copenhagen – With Liefsgarde 22 1985 – Den Frie Udstillingsbygning (Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art), Copenhagen, Gyrr's Projekter (Gyrr's Project) – With various artists 1985 – Brandts Pakhus (Brandts Warehouse) – Own exhibit 1985 – Oostende Belgium, "Europe Prize of Ostend for Painting 1986" – won bronze medal 1986 – Hollufgård Fyn – Sculpture 1986 – Bikubegården – With Leifgade 22 – Sculpture 1986 – Randers Kunstmuseum (Randers Art Museum) – With Leifgade 22, Sculpture 1986 – Malaga Spain – With Leifgard 22, "Spain Stretch to the Sun" sculpture 1986 – Brandts Klædefabrik (Brandts Clothing Factory), Odense – "Figure in Water with Light" sculpture 1986 – Performance Kongo – Video art 1986 – DSB Udsmykning (Decorations for the Danish National Railway) 1986 – Glostrup Kunstforening (Glostrup Art Club) 1986 – Efterårsudstilling Charlottenborg (Fall Exhibition at Charlottenborg) 1986 – Yorkshire Great Britain, Yorkshire Contemporary Art Group, Danish Show 1986 – Picturas, Lund, Sweden – With Leifgard 22 1987 – Brandts Galleri (Brandts Gallery), FIAC 87, Paris – With various artists 1987 – Galleri Brandt (Gallery Brandt), Copenhagen – "Peinturages" 1987 – Juul & Asbek 1987 – Paris, France 1987 – Tuborgs Kunstforening (Tuborg Art Club) 1988 – Cartier, France (La Foundation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in Jouy-en-Josas) 1988 – Brandt, Fredensborg – With Anita Jørgensen and other artists 1988 – Chris Evers Forum, Hamburg 1988 – Nordisk Kunstcenter (Nordic Art Center) – With Leifsgade 22 1988 – Galleri Brandt (Gallery Brandt), Fredensborg – Glass art & pictures, With various artists 1989 – Det kongelige Bibliotek (Danish Royal Library), "Denmark and the French Revolution” 1989 – Journalisthøjskolen (School of Journalism) –"Red & Black" 1989 – Sønderjyllandshallen, Aabenraa – The Creek exhibition 1989 – Rampen, Bikubens Hus på Nørre Vold, Copenhagen 1989 – Grand Marnier Prix Art Moderne, Hans Just, Copenhagen – With Anita Jørgensen and other artists 1989 – La Rochelle, France 1989 – Galleri Brandt (Gallery Brandt), Fredensborg "Nye Arbejder", The Nine 1990 – Næsehornsudstilling (Rhino Exhibition), Copenhagen – With Anita Jørgensen and other artists 1990 – Gammel Holtegaard and Galerie Ek'ymose, Bordeaux, France 1990 – Galerie Jean Christophe Aguas, France – With Leifgade 22 1991 – Kanal København, "Art Experiment on Copenhagen", Art installation 1991 – Bizart 1991 – Gronningen, Charlottenborg 1991 – Esbjergs Kunstmuseum (Esbjergs Art Museum) 1991 – Frans Kannik (Biography) – book 1992 – SkovhusNyt, Vaerløse – With Pontus Kjerrman 1993 – Kunsthallen (Art Arena) 1993 – Den Frie Udstillingsbygning (Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art), Copenhagen, – Pathos – With various artists 1993 – Gronningen, Charlottenborg, "Art and Space" 1993 – Artist Wine – Det Franske Vinlager A/S "Chateau Barateau" 1993 – McVerdi, Copenhagen 1993 – Kunsthallen, Købmagergade, – "Interim art as" (also Go Card "Vitruvian Woman") 1994 – National Danish Radio – Venus – Video art 1994 – Danish National Television program about the painter Frans Kannik in "Gallery 11" and Lithographic Workshop, Hostrup-Pedersen & Johansen, Valby 1994 – Grønningen, Crimphuset in Allerod 1994 – Arti, Amsterdam – With various artists 1995 – Grønningen, Charlottenborg 1995 – Galleri Birch (Gallery Birch), Copenhagen – Own exhibit, "Tropicana” 1995 – Hand-colored intaglio (prints) – Each intaglio hand-colored by FK (edition H.C. Hornung) 1995 – Press Christmas post card 1996 – Birger Christensen – Installation 1996 – Grønningen, Knullaby 69 1996 – Bizar Carviar – Caviar Movie – Installation 1997 – Poland, Torum (Regional Museum in Brodnica, Museum in Grudziadz), With various artists. "Looking after Notre Dame" 1997 – Fuglsanghus, Hørsholm, Mikkelborg Park Kunstforening (Mikkelborg Park Art Club), "Models Wanted" – Lithographs 1998 – Illustrated the "Marquis de Sade" 1998 – Toupe-Test – Film Card 1998 – Grønningen, Hammershøj – Photostat 1998 – Go Card – Advertisement for Faelledparken summer music schedule 1999 – 50th birthday book "As an artist you to be clever enough to have an idea and stupid enough to go ahead and make it" 1999 – Hvidovre Kunstbibliotek (Hvidovre Art Library) 1999 – Grønningen "2 Blowup" 1999 – Grønningen, Charlottenborg – "Eye” 2000 – Grønningen, Smartart pen "The Hygiene Art Pen" installation 2000 – StandArt 2000 – KannikKasting – Smoking Models Wanted 2001 – Institute de Smart Art – Watercolor postcards and manifest 2001 – Go Card 2001 – Galleri Vejle (Gallery Vejle), "Artist and Model" – Own exhibit 2001 – Grønningen catalog – "Join the pARTy!" 2002 – Grønningen, Charlottenborg – "Kontoret for Alt – Office for Everything – Bureau de TOUT" – SmArt's new Product: ArTiTs de Looks 2002 – Arken Champagne, Institut de Smart Art – Advertisement for three different champagnes, Titanic, Medusa, and Arken 2002 – Nordjyllands Kundstmuseum (Northern Jutland Art Museum), Aalborg – “Painter and Model” Own exhibit 2002 – Christmas exhibit in Galleri Vejle – With various artists 2002 – Danish postage stamp 2003 – Galleri Veggerby – 2 exhibits 2003 – Grønningen catalog – “Manifest” 2004 – Grønningen catalog – “Bridge over troubled water” 2004 – Wrote and published “Fed Til You’re Dead – Volume 1” 2004 – London, England 2004 – Book “Studio – the artist’s workshops” by Lisbeth Bonde 2004 – Gammel Holtegaard – “Backlighting” 2005 – Smith Anderson Editions, Palo Alto, CA – Group exhibit 2005 – Galleri Veggerby – Various artists – “Bibliotheca Benjaminata” 2005 – Galleri Veggerby – Own exhibit 2005 – Grønningens Catalog – Campbells soup can “The Missing Link” with DVD – Copenhagen Opera House 2006 – Gammel Holtegaard, “A step in the right direction” 2006 – Grønningen, Charlottenborg 2006 – Aalborg Kunstpavillon, With Tomas Ortved 2006 – Biennial for Contemporary Art, Sweden – Watercolors 2007 – Ronneby, Sweden – Nordic Watercolors 2007 – Galleri Clifford, Daugard