Behind the painting event “the Salon Horsens” is the Danish Decorative Painters’ Guild. Among the key supporters are Flügger and the property investment company M+. M+ owns 28% of Flügger, and the two organisations share a deeper ambition than just financial support. They want to help shed light on a trade and a profession that they believe deserves much more attention.

– As a supplier to the painting trade, we have a responsibility to uphold the traditions and professionalism of the trade. And as a company, we believe that professional pride should be honoured – regardless of whether you have a brush, trowel or hammer in your hand,’ says Sune Schnack, CEO of Flügger Group.

At M+, craftsmanship also plays a cultural and societal role.

– This is about more than beautiful decorations. It’s about preserving unique competences that only a few have mastered – and about raising awareness of the value of choosing a career in craftsmanship. We need more people who dare to choose craftsmanship as a career. That’s why we support the Salon,’ says Bettina Antitsch Mortensen, Chairman of the Board at M+.

Among those invited are all the Danish technical education centres that the Salon and the sponsors want to engage with. The organisers hope to inspire the next generation to restore and carry forward our shared craft traditions.

Craftsmanship with deep roots – and an eye to the future

During the painting event, visitors can experience 70 decorative painters from around the world, including Japan, Belgium and Italy. The painters are working live in front of an audience using advanced techniques such as trompe l’oeil, grissailles and veining. The culmination is the creation of a 5 x 2.5 metre collaborative work inspired by Norse mythology.

The programme also includes lectures, live music and, not least, participation from both schools and young people in the local area. Because that’s exactly who the Salon Horsens wants to connect with.

– What’s happening in Horsens is quite unique. It brings together people who can do something that very few in the world have mastered. It deserves attention – also from the public sector and our educational system. It’s not just art, it’s cultural heritage and world-class craftsmanship,’ says Bettina Antitsch Mortensen, Chairman of the Board at M+.

A pat on the back to the trade

The Salon Horsens highly appreciates the sponsorship and the great support from both Flügger and M+. For the organisers, this is an important seal of approval – and a necessity if trades such as decorative painters are to maintain their place in the future of construction and cultural heritage.

– We need to plant some seeds. Without support and attention, we risk being left without a generation to carry on and restore our cultural heritage. When strong players like Flügger and M+ get behind us, it shows that our profession has value – not only artistically, but also for society. It’s this kind of support that makes it possible to spark young people’s curiosity and secure a future for the profession,’ concludes Heidi Zilmer, master painter and co-organiser of the Salon Horsens.

Facts about the Salon Horsens 2025

Takes place from the 8th to 11th May 2025 at FÆNGSLET in Horsens, Denmark

Free entrance for the public every day from 9am to 5pm

70 decorative painters from around the world participate

Centrepiece: A collaborative painting on the theme of Norse mythology

The Salon is an annual event – it is only the second time ever it has taken place in Denmark

Organised by the Danish Decorative Painters Guild

Read more: www.salonhorsens.com or www.salonforever.net