AHC has two primary areas of focus:

ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION
AHC supports visual artists in their practice and thinking, helping them develop new work, conduct research and establish interdisciplinary and international networks. We do so by offering long-term residencies, exchange opportunities as well as studio and workshop facilities, providing space for professional development and artistic production to unfold. Our programmes are not about creating a framework for the ‘best’ art but rather seek to offer the best and most supportive conditions for the artist to thrive and create. Since the potentials and prospects for artistic development and production vary from artist to artist, we strive to tailor our residencies and facilities to accommodate the needs of every single artist we work with. The outputs of our programmes are continuously shared through exhibitions, publications and various public events.

ARTISTIC RESEARCH
In dialogue with other institutional actors, AHC is fully committed to advancing the field of practice-based research. AHC understands practice-based research to be a framework for artistic exploration that fosters experimental and speculative knowledge production as well as discussions regarding contemporary conditions for artists and artmaking. As a host institution, the work of researching artists, curators and writers is central to AHC’s activities. We offer possibilities for the development of new projects and methods through a variety of formats, prioritising process, interdisciplinarity, collaboration and mediation. The outcomes of practice-based research at AHC are regularly shared through exhibitions, publications and various public programmes.

Initiated and founded by the Bikuben Foundation in 2018, AHC is a non-profit organisation with an independent board of art and business professionals and a dedicated team leading the institution’s mission.

The vision for AHC stems from a report published by the Bikuben Foundation in 2016, which investigated the field of visual arts in Denmark through interviews with various art professionals. The report identified key challenges, including a shortage of work and studio spaces in Copenhagen, as well as possible initiatives, such as the fostering of more interdisciplinary, international and sustainable environments for artists, curators, researchers and art writers. These findings laid the groundwork for a new type of art institution, ultimately leading to the establishment of AHC.

Since 2019, AHC has been situated at Halmtorvet in Copenhagen’s meatpacking district. In January 2025, the institution will move to the northwestern part of the city and open new studio spaces, workshops and an exhibition space. At Thoravej 29, AHC will also be joining the community project Thoravej 29.

AHC is primarily funded by the Bikuben Foundation, with additional support for its research hosting activities from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Other programmes are supported by local, national and international partners and foundations.