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CC Hennix – A Pioneering Practice at the Intersection of Art and Music
Catherine Christer Hennix was a groundbreaking, boundary-crossing artist. In her artistic practice, mathematics, visual art, Eastern philosophy, and spirituality were united, with music at the center. Malmö Konsthall now presents the first exhibition of CC Hennix’s work since her passing in 2023. You are warmly invited to the press preview on Thursday, February 5, at 10 a.m.
Beginning in the late 1960s, Catherine Christer Hennix (1948–2023) developed a groundbreaking, boundary-crossing practice spanning minimal music, computer programming, poetry, sculpture, and light art, bringing together mathematics, visual art, Eastern philosophy, and spirituality while pushing the technical and conceptual limits of each medium toward singular ends. Hennix was a pioneer of minimalism in both music and visual art. While she is best known for her long-form, extended drone compositions, her artistic practice extended far beyond music. The exhibition at Malmö Konsthall brings together works from across her career, including installations, sculptures, works on paper, sound- and video-based works, offering a rare opportunity to encounter the full breadth of her work.
“This exhibition stands on many fronts. It includes both a visual presentation and a live programme with concerts and performances, providing a comprehensive view of the artist’s work,” says Malmö Konsthall Director Mats Stjernstedt.
The exhibition will be on view from February 7 to May 17, 2026.
An artistic practice rooted in music
Born in Stockholm in 1948, Catherine Christer Hennix was immersed from an early age in the city’s active cultural and musical milieu. As one of the initial members of Elektronmusikstudion (EMS) she worked with early computer-based sound systems while simultaneously studying biochemistry, linguistics, and mathematical logic, an interdisciplinary foundation that would prove formative for her later work. In 1968, this grounding led her to New York, where she encountered a radically different artistic context. There she met figures including John Cage, Walter De Maria, La Monte Young, Henry Flynt, and Pandit Pran Nath, artists who would influence her thinking in distinct ways and, in several cases, become lifelong interlocutors.
One of few presentations
Hennix’s work has only rarely been presented in an exhibition format. In 1976, she debuted at Moderna Museet in Stockholm with the major exhibition Toposes & Adjoints, which, exactly 50 years later, will be partially recreated at Malmö Konsthall. The exhibition in Malmö will expand on this historical presentation with numerous additional works, some of which have never before been shown publicly. The exhibition continues Malmö Konsthall’s tradition of introducing relatively under-recognized artistic practices while challenging conventional exhibition formats, highlighting the breadth and complexity of contemporary art.
With her boundary-crossing, scientifically oriented practice, CC Hennix engaged in far-reaching artistic and intellectual dialogues during her lifetime. Her work has contributed to expanding the discussion around minimalism in music and contemporary art, as well as discussions on spirituality, art versus science, and gender identity.
Collaboration with CC Hennix’s close circle
The exhibition is produced in collaboration with Blank Forms and Badischer Kunstverein (Karlsruhe, Germany), and has been developed in close dialogue with some of CC Hennix’s long-term collaborators. The curatorial team of the exhibition is Lawrence Kumpf (Blank Forms) and Mats Stjernstedt, Anna Kindvall, and Benjamin McIntosh (Malmö Konsthall). Malmö Konsthall previously presented some of Hennix’s works in the exhibition Åke Hodell – Resistance (2022). The exhibition will also be on view at Badischer Kunstverein, with an opening in July 2026. During the Malmö exhibition, among others, the Kamigaku Ensemble, founded by CC Hennix, will perform.
Press Preview February 5 at 10 a.m.
Welcome to join us for the press preview on Thursday, February 5, at 10 a.m. Mats Stjernstedt and Lawrence Kumpf will be present. The exhibition opening takes place on Friday, February 6, at 7 p.m.
Press images available with the password press2026 at: https://malmokonsthall.se/pressbilder/pressbilder-cc-hennix/
Malmö Konsthall opened in 1975 and is one of the largest spaces for contemporary art in the Nordic countries. It is also a space for literature, film, music and talks. Together with restaurant SMAK and the art bookshop, Malmö Konsthall forms a lively cultural centre in the heart of the city. The konsthall has 250,000 visitors annually, and always offers free entry to all exhibitions and programs. Malmö Konsthall can be reached by direct train from Copenhagen in 30 minutes.
