In the Shadow of Disasters II

View all the works from the auction here

"Artist Prints" for Charity 

In December 2017, Jan Grarup donated a total of 26 signed Artist Prints to a charity auction for the benefit of the Dignity organization. This sale occurred in connection with his completely sold-out event "And Then There Was Silence" at the Royal Danish Opera. Here he gave a presentation about his harsh experiences as a war photographer.

The sale of the first 12 photographs raised approximately DKK 100,000 to the charity organization, and we hope that we can do as well or even better on Saturday. The hammer prices will go in full to Dignity, and at Bruun Rasmussen we will not charge any fees or premiums in connection with the sale.

All the works are estimated at a value of DKK 100,000, but the bidding will start at DKK 4,000.

"And Then There Was Silence"

Jan Grarup is world-renowned for his war photographs from the hotspots across the globe. In his photo shoot "And Then There Was Silence", published last autumn, he presents his most iconic photographs of the past decades with war-weary soldiers,  refugees and people in perilous conditions.

The title of the book "And Then There Was Silence" refers to, among other things, the silence that follows in the wake of the intense media coverage of areas hit by disasters. The title helps the photographer point his lens to the fact that the disasters are still there all the time, even when we are not looking. The images are truly in your face – and say more than a thousand words could.

Pictures of the Horror and Hope of War

The photographs document the ubiquitous destruction in the war-torn and hunger-ridden areas Grarup has visited – from Mogadishu to Mosul. But the photographer's lens also captures the absurd and life-affirming moments in the midst of all the destruction that stirs the curiosity and awakens hope in the viewer.

Grarup's photographs of the reality and everyday life during war – which are so far removed from the life we know here at home – document the horror in ways that leave no doubt of its existence. Through Grarup's lens you are witnessing disasters where the repercussions seem endless. But at the same time the beauty and hope in his pictures cannot be denied. The strong compositions and the alluring motifs broaden the scope of their images beyond the usual press photograph. The black and white photographs remain in the mind's eye for a long time. Perhaps because Grarup often depicts both the everyday life and great drama in his photographs.

Preview and Auction

All the photographs were displayed on big screens at Dignity's annual DIGNITY DAY in the Rosenborg Castle Gardens in Copenhagen on 9 June, and they can now be viewed at our location on Sundkrogsgade 30 in Copenhagen until 23 June. You can bid on the works at bruun-rasmussen.dk right now, and the auction begins to end on Saturday 23 June at 2 pm at the same place.