As a child I lived in cultures that were different from the one I knew. I believe a seed was planted. I had developed this curiosity in understanding the perspectives and activities of others when it comes to life – simply to listen to what preoccupies their thoughts, where their beliefs originate, and what sustains them.

My curiosity extends far and wide – I observe, I sense, I listen – and I experience that when the different ways of understanding and living life are combined, they perspectivize each other. They enrich and add nuance, perhaps they even challenge – but in the face of the unfamiliar, I find that thoughts are set in motion, resulting in new understandings and insights.

When I was 3 years old, I lived abroad for the first time. It was in Poland. Everything was new and different, and that was just fine. I learned the new ways of acting, and the language – this new, became my everyday life. When I was 10, I lived in the USA. Again, I had to learn new things, a new language, new ways of understanding and acting, in an unknown culture, with its own logics and codes.
As an adult, I have also traveled around the world with long stays in China and the USA. These stays are all driven by my curiosity about the culture, about everyday life, about the individual’s way of dealing with this. I carry some of it with me as impressions, sensations and observations, because the language was not sufficient for conversation, while other things are perceived differently through the shared language. 

Some of the strongest experiences I have with my art also come from the meeting and conversation with the visitor, whether here in Denmark or, as in connection to my exhibition in South Korea, where the cultural difference enriched and added nuance to the conversation in the finest way.
It’s especially meaningful to me when I hear or sense that others are moved by my art, and it provides a foundation for discussion, openness, and welcoming attitudes. 

Susanne Schmidt-Nielsen, 2023