From his studio in Copenhagen, The Danish painter Nicky Sparre-Ulrich uses layering and controlled erasure to test the reliability of images. Sparre‑Ulrich's guiding idea is that memory is fragile yet persistent, always rewriting itself, and this clarity has made his exhibitions essential for anyone tracking how contemporary art covers the politics of remembrance.
Screenshot selected by Nicky Sparre‑Ulrich: "These hand gestures have been circulating online, framed as symbols of a secret elite society."
Lately, I’ve been drawing a lot of inspiration from conspiracy theories. I think it’s fascinating how in recent years these emerging internet conspiracy theories are becoming a part of our political discourse. The world seems to be in a bad state right now; people are in a lot of pain and therefore open to all kinds of explanations. What fascinates me is not just the theories, but also the way they are constructed by constantly attempting to connect the dots, and how symbols are often repurposed to create extra layers of meaning.
When I was young, Copenhagen was a pretty wild city with a lot of underground stuff going on. There were a lot of different venues and spaces where anyone could show up, like the old “Youth House” at Jagtvej 69. There was this unique sense of energy around these venues, and a sense of community. I'm certain this unique environment has impacted my work in some way.
That must be the painting of my great-great-grandfather by the Ukrainian impressionist painter Leonid Pasternak, who lived from 1862 to 1945. He was the uncle of my great-grandfather. It’s funny how his works slipped into my consciousness long before I ever thought about art in any serious way. The paintings have always hung in our home, and, growing up, we heard stories about him and his son Boris Pasternak, the influential poet and author of the famous novel Doktor Zivago. Over the years those stories became almost mythical. This painting was a starting point for my exhibition Vanishing Act.
* at [Tørreloft](\institutions\4c6e7938-c655-4a73-8da6-08dd461e252e) (Jan 31, 2025 — Mar 01, 2025)](https://storageuntitleddb.blob.core.windows.net/udb-interview-qa/8c7a3aca-1f8a-43b8-ae22-86cb18d54cba1200.avif)
Exhibition view, Vanishing Act at Tørreloft (Jan 31, 2025 — Mar 01, 2025)
Actually, when Russia invaded Ukraine, I couldn’t help thinking about my own family background, which has links to both Ukraine and Russia. I felt like doing some work related to my Ukrainian heritage, but it took me some time to find the right angle for the work. Then I reread a book I had bought in Moscow back in 2015. It’s called The Commissar Vanishes, and it shows how Stalin manipulated photographs in order to literally remove his victims from history. That’s really where the idea for this project began. I started working with a selection of Leonid Pasternak’s portraits, using them as the foundation for my work. In a way, I approached them almost like a magician, erasing or blurring the faces of the subjects.
* (2025)
Exhibition view, *[Vanishing Act](\exhibitions\e35a4493-8415-4643-b4ab-29bb35a7899a)* at [Tørreloft](\institutions\4c6e7938-c655-4a73-8da6-08dd461e252e) (Jan 31, 2025 — Mar 01, 2025)](https://storageuntitleddb.blob.core.windows.net/udb-interview-qa/7de809f6-a056-4023-bef5-86492cb123011200.avif)
Nicky Sparre-Ulrich, Augusta (2025)
Exhibition view, Vanishing Act at Tørreloft (Jan 31, 2025 — Mar 01, 2025)
It depends, really. The music I play in the studio affects my painting, at least somewhat. This week, I’ve been listening to the English band Coil from the ’80s, the old-school black metal band Bathory, and the Swedish rapper Yung Lean.
How little the average artist earns...
* (2025)
Exhibition view, *[Metanoia III, ‘saturated solitude’](\exhibitions\3bb07e89-7bf9-4cfa-94f8-a8a0281826ae)* at [SOL Nexø](\institutions\6e4a8dbb-2f59-4421-9bd9-08de3b97ec6f) (May 23, 2025 — Jun 22, 2025)](https://storageuntitleddb.blob.core.windows.net/udb-interview-qa/a230d794-ad72-4bd3-bfce-d27501f244701200.avif)
Nicky Sparre-Ulrich, Someone's bird (2025)
Exhibition view, Metanoia III, ‘saturated solitude’ at SOL Nexø (May 23, 2025 — Jun 22, 2025)
* (2025)
Exhibition view, *[Hard Scent Salon](\exhibitions\5e3a2e14-05af-470d-8764-69f1aa7dc35d)* at [Staldgade 11](\institutions\b276d81b-10c4-4074-9bda-08de3b97ec6f) (Sep 21, 2024 — Sep 22, 2024)](https://storageuntitleddb.blob.core.windows.net/udb-interview-qa/5523893c-1576-46c6-a62d-e68f91c118151200.avif)
Nicky Sparre-Ulrich, Someone's bird (2025)
Exhibition view, Hard Scent Salon at Staldgade 11 (Sep 21, 2024 — Sep 22, 2024)
Try not to analyse your work before it's finished.
I think the post-truth era is really scary, whether it’s the president of the United States claiming that immigrants are eating dogs and cats, or the biased coverage of the genocide in Gaza by mainstream media, which creates distrust in our institutions. It’s something I can’t fully wrap my head around, especially when you consider what the long-term consequences may be.
To answer your question, yes, for sure, my work is gradually becoming more political because of this fact. The subjects of my paintings are often created from some found imagery, which I work on and transform into something completely different. Ultimately, I think it is this sense of the mystical or the uncertainty of things that interests me.
* (2025)
Exhibition view, *[Somewhere Under The Rainbow](\exhibitions\2ae076d3-5429-4e82-bc88-3c095e7b0ad8)* at [CANTINA](\institutions\7260363b-f93a-4ee1-9bdb-08de3b97ec6f) (Mar 24, 2025 — Apr 20, 2025)](https://storageuntitleddb.blob.core.windows.net/udb-interview-qa/6fd1beec-c7ed-48c9-a512-13e789ff81991200.avif)
Nicky Sparre-Ulrich, I Surrender (2025)
Exhibition view, Somewhere Under The Rainbow at CANTINA (Mar 24, 2025 — Apr 20, 2025)
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The first thing I notice about a person is the energy and vibes. It’s not necessarily what they say or how they look; it’s more about the feeling they give off when they enter a room. I think that we often respond to that instinctively, without being fully aware of it.
I feel it’s both. Storytelling is, of course, a big part of my work, but, at the same time, I think it’s important that the works pose questions, both to the viewer and to myself. A question can draw you into the work and make you want to explore. I’m not trying to impose anything settled with my paintings, but rather to point to something that can be interpreted in different ways.
The Wizard of Oz [Novel by Frank Baum, May 17, 1900]
Graffiti...
I guess I have to say LA. I’m half American and have spent most of my summers in LA since I was a kid. The energising sunlight in LA has always been something I’ve looked forward to throughout the year, especially after the dark Danish winters.
I actually think a title is a useful tool to pull the viewer in a certain direction, or in some cases, to create confusion. It can be challenging to find the right title, but a good one can bring the work to another level.
* at [Skēnē](\institutions\5e5db1db-85bf-46a9-9bdc-08de3b97ec6f) (Sep 27, 2024 — Oct 19, 2024)](https://storageuntitleddb.blob.core.windows.net/udb-interview-qa/115602fd-7fa5-4537-bfb7-a505a913dd941200.avif)
Nicky Sparre-Ulrich, The Pre-Burst moment, Mixed media on canvas, 150 × 90 cm
Nicky Sparre-Ulrich, Lilje, Mixed media on canvas, 150 × 90 cm
Exhibition view, Invisible Endings at Skēnē (Sep 27, 2024 — Oct 19, 2024)
The part I enjoy most is working on my paintings in the studio. Sometimes it feels like losing all sense of time and everything around you. I don’t think there’s a better feeling.
Blue Velvet [David Lynch, 1986]
Time of the Wolf [Michael Haneke, 2004]
A Woman Under the Influence [John Cassavetes, 1974]
Film director. Before I entered art school, I dreamed of making films, and I actually knew much more about film than about art when I first started there.
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What is UntitledDb?
UntitledDb is the collaborative visual art database.
Artists: keep one up-to-date profile that evolves with your practice, instead of managing scattered sites and links. Curators: reduce research drift, follow emerging work, map collaboration networks, and assemble proposal material in one place. Exhibition spaces: document each show as a searchable record that lifts your artists’ visibility and makes it easier for curators, writers, and collectors to find them.
Browse freely. Create your profile with a free account. Upgrade to Pro or Enterprise for profile verification & claiming, edit control, and analytics.
