Frederik, art & the environment

Last Friday Crown Prince Frederik attended the opening of the EXIT 08 exhibition as the patron of the Association of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and demonstrated some pretty nifty juggling skills.

GL Strand - exhibition hall of modern and contemporary art
EXIT 08
Søren Steffen's photo gallery

DR.dk news clip (01:38) - apart from the opening of EXIT 08, the report says that in the book Frederik - Crown Prince of Denmark it is revealed that part of Frederik juggling his role as a successor includes plans to play a key role in next year's UN's climate summit which will be held in Copenhagen.

Berlingske Tidende 'Kronprins Frederik som miljøforkæmper' - Crown Prince Frederik as an environmentalist
Crown Prince Frederik hopes to be able to play a key role at the UN's climate summit in Copenhagen next year, it says in a new portrait book about the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince would like to actively participate in the fight for a better environment.
When Denmark becomes host country for the UN's international climate summit in 2009, Crown Prince Frederik hopes to be involved in some way or another.
That is what he says in the portrait book Frederik - Crown Prince of Denmark, which will appear on Saturday published by Høst & Søn.
"Environment and climate are extremely interesting. Over time [I] have done research into it as much as possible and [would like to contribute] a little more concretely. Previously science had not come so far in acknowledging what climate change really meant," the Crown Prince says and adds that pollution and protection of the environment in his opinion had been used "very ideologically" in the past.
"And that makes me sad."
"But now the scientific research and documentation offered [indicates] that it is no longer just in the political realm and [we have to face] the environment and climate change with more than just fear," he says in the book where he reveals his big passion for modern art for the first time, just as he also elaborates on his motives to be the Danish candidate for the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Crown Prince Frederik hopes that the prime minister and the climate minister will enable him to play a key role in connection with the climate summit in 2009.
For the book's authors, Karin Palshøj and Gitte Redder, write that he continues to delve into details in connection with climatic change and speculates about the consequences for human beings in different places around the globe.
"It is very interesting for Denmark because climatic changes will also influence our latitudes. And anyone who sees Greenland cannot help being touched by it. The arctic ice shelf has come into focus, and they anticipate it will be a complete shipwreck within 100 years."
"It's very thought provoking," says Crown Prince Frederik, who in the book doesn't only express concern for the rises in water levels expected around the globe as a consequence of temperature rises.
Also pollution of Danish inland waters and of the ground water has made an impression on him and the Crown Prince also has concern about how to deal with pollution and chemical spills.
The portrait book about Crown Prince Frederik will appear on the occasion of his 40th birthday on May 26th, and it builds on a number of conversations with both the Crown Prince himself, his closest family as well as close friends.
Apart from the description of Frederik's childhood and youthful rebellions, the book also reveals how the Crown Prince would like to manage the royal house and bring the younger generations into supporting the world's oldest monarchy.
"We won't only be role models," states the Crown Prince, who in the book also reveals his big interest in international conditions and [is praised by] former prime minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen.
"Frederik understands very well what 'the walk' is like for the leaders at the top from around the world. With the great respect one has for presidents, prime ministers and top leaders all over the world, Frederik is not overawed. He can move from a deep conversation with Nelson Mandela to Fidel Castro at a second. It actually is rather impressive to see Frederik, with the greatest naturalness, ask about social conditions in different countries," Poul Nyrup Rasmussen reports in the book.

COP15 - United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen 2009
World Climate Conference-3

And Jyllands Posten has reported that Crown Prince Frederik has taken the initiative to support an outdoor art exhibition along Århus bay in 2009. Århus is located along a bay and the idea is to place a number of sculptures along a one kilometre stretch of beach right next to the centre of Århus (quite close to Marselisborg).
Århus Mayor Nikolai Wammen is secretive about the project and will only reveal that there are plans in the making. The manager of the ARoS Art Museum in Århus will only reveal that they are involved in plans with Århus municipality.
Frederik has been directly inspired by the annual seaside Sculpture by The Sea which he has seen in Sydney.
His inspiration, the plans for the exhibition and his interest in art (he has a considerable art collection himself) is something he tells about in depth in the book Frederik - Crown Prince of Denmark.

Sculpture by The Sea will celebrate 12 years this southern Spring with its artworks arranged along the coastal cliff walk from Bondi to Tamarama
Sculpture by the Sea galleries
(thanks jema!)