Sabine Dahl Nielsen

Sabine Dahl Nielsen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen. Her research centers on contemporary curatorial and institutional practices through transcultural and radical democratic lenses, examining art's role in migration-induced societies and public spaces.

She earned her PhD in Modern Culture and Cultural Dissemination from the University of Copenhagen (2015) with the dissertation "Art in Public Spaces: Conflicts and Negotiations as Critical Political Practices". Her academic journey includes foundational works like "Det fotografiske rum" (2011) and the recent monograph "Konflikt og forhandling: Kunstens rolle i samtidens offentlige byrum" (2022).

Research interests prominently feature Contemporary Curatorial Practices, Art in Public Spaces, and Radical Democracy Theory, with deep engagement in globalization-migration-culture intersections. Her work critically analyzes how art institutions foster transcultural solidarity and democratic participation in culturally pluralized urban environments, emphasizing collaborative practices and institutional transformation.

Recent publications reveal a cohesive trajectory exploring art's capacity to renegotiate public monuments, cultivate radical love in institutional settings, and build transcultural contact zones. These works demonstrate interdisciplinary convergence of cultural studies, urban theory, and political philosophy, consistently addressing migration's impact on artistic production and audience engagement.

Dr. Nielsen leads the Novo Nordisk Foundation-funded project "Transcultural Contact Zones: Negotiating the Role of Art Institutions in Contemporary Societies Characterized by Migration" (2023-2027). Previous major grants include the Novo Nordisk Foundation's "Togetherness in Difference" (2019-2022) and Carlsberg Foundation's "Transit: Mobility and Migration" (2015-2018), which produced the multi-sited exhibition "Transit" across Copenhagen train stations.

Her collaborative research framework involves partnerships with museums, cultural institutions, and international scholars. Current work focuses on developing practical methodologies for European art institutions to engage culturally diverse publics through radical democratic frameworks and transcultural dialogue.