Pantomime at CHART 2026

A total installation inside the courtyards at Charlottenborg

26 August 2026

CHART Public

Re-imagining the courtyards at Charlottenborg as an immersive scenography for CHART 2026

For the second time, CHART Public combines an immersive staging at Charlottenborg with the Public Programme of performances and live music that takes place here.

Earlier in the spring, we sent out an open call inviting teams of scenographers, designers, architects and artists to re-imagine the space inside the historical architecture of the Charlottenborg courtyards. The competition brief called for innovative stagings, with a distinct wow-factor that would create social space and set the tone for guests arriving to CHART throughout the weekend.

After receiving large numbers of submissions from teams from across Denmark, this year's competition jury selected Pantomime as the winning proposal to be realised at Charlottenborg during the final weeks of August. Pantomime draws on a theatrical tradition rooted in gesture, exaggeration, and collective spectacle, turning Charlottenborg's courtyards into an open, continuous stage.

Special thanks to this year’s competition jury, Kim Lenschow, Peter Bur Andersen, and Katrine Morel.

CHART Public is made possible by the generous support of Københavns Kommune, Det Obelske Familiefond, Augustinus Fonden, Statens Kunstfond and Knud Højgaards Fond who all generously contributed to the production of CHART Public.

Pantomime by Mads Vagn Jacobsen, Frederik Lykkeberg Larsen and Oliver Sundqvist

Photo by Joakim Züger / BARSK Projects

Pantomime by Mads Vagn Jacobsen, Frederik Lykkeberg Larsen and Oliver Sundqvist

Photo by Joakim Züger / BARSK Projects

Pantomime

Pantomime draws on a theatrical tradition rooted in gesture, exaggeration, and collective spectacle, turning Charlottenborg's courtyards into an open, continuous stage.

The installation invites visitors to step into the role of performer softening the boundary between spectator and participant, encouraging movement, interaction, and spontaneous acts. At the same time, the visual coherence of the tents and podiums establishes a strong aesthetic identity and a unifying thread across the space. Like a circus arriving in the city, the installation temporarily occupies the courtyard, transforming it into a stage for collective experience. It introduces a sense of immediacy and festivity, creating a setting that feels both familiar and slightly theatrical.

The team behind Pantomime is made up by the cross-disciplinary team; architects Mads Vagn Jacobsen & Frederik Lykkeberg Larsen from Antenna Works in collaboration with artist Oliver Sundqvist.