From his home in Østerbro, Copenhagen-born French-Vietnamese-Danish jazz bassist, composer, and band leader CHRIS MINH DOKY shares his journey that included a multicultural musical upbringing, becoming the house bass player at Copenhagen's La Fontaine at 17, and moving to New York at 18 to be closer to the music he loved, which resulted in a 30-year stay. Chris talks about discovering Miles Davis and the improvisational language of jazz that lends itself to superimposing on other genres. 

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For today's episode, Chris Minh Doky chose Antonio Corradini's Femme voilée (la Foi?), or Veiled Woman (Faith?), from 1800, from the collection of the Louvre Museum in Paris.

https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010094893  

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Photographer: Camilla Winther

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This conversation with Finn-Olaf Jones occurred on July 15, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From his home in Hornbæk, northern Copenhagen-born, retired Danish pilot, airline captain, and businessman PERCY BECK RØRVIG recalls living in Manhattan at an early age, joining the Danish Air Force at 18, starting a 30-year long career at Scandinavian Airlines at 24, and piloting the CPH-JFK route for years. Percy calls New York his second home, having lived there for several periods. And he talks about the businesses he took up along the way, borrowing from lessons he learned as a pilot.

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For today's episode, Percy Beck Rørvig chose Alberto Giacometti's Three Men Walking II, from 1949 from the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/489978 

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Private Photograph

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This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on June 28, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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In Los Angeles for Noma's 16-week Silver Lake pop-up residency, Seoul-born, Fjerritslev-raised Danish restaurant co-owner PETER KREINER revisits his path running the influential establishment ranked #1 in the world five times. Peter shares his insights, on leading Noma with its philosophy on culinary innovation through foraging and fermentation and its approach to creating unforgettable experiences, and on expanding the Noma portfolio. And he also discusses some ups and downs along the way.

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For today's episode, Peter Kreiner chose James Turrell's Aftershock from 2021 from the collection of Copenhagen Contemporary in Copenhagen.

https://copenhagencontemporary.org/en/james-turrell/ 

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Photographer: Klaus Rudbæk

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This conversation with Carsten "Soulshock" Schack occurred on June 17, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From her home in Culver City, Næstved-born, Los Angeles-based Danish bakery owner and head baker KAREN HANSEN recalls her journey arriving in LA in 1977 as an au pair to her current venture with the beloved local favorite, Copenhagen Pastry. Karen talks about being a resourceful self-starter and checking in with her instincts. And she revisits her very different prior businesses, a residential home cleaning service and a marketing service for creatives, before arriving at traditional Danish pastries.

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For today's episode, Karen Hansen chose Harald Slott-Møller's Dansk landskab, or Danish Landscape, from 1891 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark. 

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/DEP297

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Photographer: Sara Madsen

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This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on April 27, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From her studio in Copenhagen, Lyngby-born Danish composer and cellist JOSEFINE OPSAHL talks about her dual roles as a classical music composer and a cellist who performs with live electronics and sound design. She elaborates on performativity, the forces of life that are at stake in her music, and her breaking down genre boundaries and dissolving physical ones. And Josefine traces her creative journey through her albums Atrium, Cytropia, and her HANDS Concerto for Solo Cello and Orchestra.

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For today's episode, Josefine Opsahl chose Richard Serra's Equal from 2015 from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

https://www.moma.org/collection/works/193590 

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Photographer: Tomas Kaerup

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This conversation with Gregers Heering occurred on May 8, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From her home in Long Beach, Sønderborg outskirts-born Danish global life sciences and diagnostics legal executive VIBEKE HOLST-ANDERSEN talks about her 13-year tenure with the international Danaher Corporation, first in Denmark, then in the US. She revisits her considerations as a Danish legal expert working in the US, and her experience passing the California Bar Examination only as a challenge for herself. Vibeke also talks about balancing a demanding career and a tight-knit family. 

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For today's episode, Vibeke Holst-Andersen chose Goya's The Naked Maja from 1795–1800, and Saturn from 1820–1823, from the collection of the Prado Museum in Madrid.

https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-naked-maja/65953b93-323e-48fe-98cb-9d4b15852b18

https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/saturn/18110a75-b0e7-430c-bc73-2a4d55893bd6

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Photographer: Jens Honoré

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This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on April 21, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/                                

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From his home in the Bay Area, Hellerup-born, two-time Grammy-winner Danish-American violinist and composer MADS TOLLING shares highlights of his career playing with bands and leading his own groups, the Mads Tolling Quartet, and Mads Tolling & The Mads Men. At his core a jazz violinist, Mads credits his training at Boston's Berklee College of Music, and talks about blurring musical boundaries, exploring different genres, and reaching new audiences, both as a musician and a composer. 

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For today's episode, Mads Tolling chose P.C. Skovgaard's Bøgeskov i maj. Motiv fra Iselingen, or A Beech Wood in May near Iselingen Manor, Zealand, from 1857 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS4580  

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Photographer: Karolina Zapolska

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This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on April 14, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From her home in the Santa Monica mountains, Aarhus-born, Los Angeles-based Danish-Swedish ceramicist, curator, and bookseller LENA TORSLOW HANSEN revisits her first passion with clay and her roles with some foundational exhibitions: "A Broad Spectrum" (1984), "Golden Age in Danish Painting" (1994) as well as the 28 for the cultural festival "Scandinavia Today" (1982–1983). Lena also recalls cross-country road trips running Nordic Art Books and the pre-Amazon art book landscape.

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For today's episode, Lena Torslow Hansen chose J.F. Willumsen's En bjergbestigerske, or A Mountain Climber, from 1912 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS3413 

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Photographer: Aya Muto

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This conversation with Finn-Olaf Jones occurred on May 8, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From his home office in Gentofte, Sønderborg-born and Copenhagen- and New York-based Danish photographer JENS HONORÉ talks about his work with the Roger Federer Foundation and his books A Place to Dream (2018) with SOS Children's Village and The Right to Food (2021) with the nonprofit initiative JUNKFOOD. He discusses the importance of connecting to people, using his photography for social good, and his present focus on craftsmanship in his film The Crosses and his upcoming book. 

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For today's episode, Jens Honoré chose Jesper Rasmussen's Dumbo Brooklyn New York from 2005 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KKS2005-15 

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Photographer: Klaus Clemmens

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This conversation with Gregers Heering occurred on March 30, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From his home in Israels Plads, Soviet Union-born, Copenhagen-based Danish American businessman and startup investor ILYA KATSNELSON recalls arriving in the US as a refugee at the age of ten, his formative years in Wisconsin, and moving to Denmark, later surviving a German maximum security jail when the Russian state issued a retaliatory Interpol red notice against him. Equally, he talks about his commitment to bringing the US and Denmark closer together through education, art, and culture.

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For today's episode, Ilya Katsnelson chose Carl Bloch's Fra et romersk osteria, or In a Roman Osteria, from 1866 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS4087  

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Photographer: Davy Denke

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This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on April 6, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From her home in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, Copenhagen-born, New York-based Danish-Scottish documentary film producer and director MAIKEN BAIRD talks about her latest film on Palestinian American scholar Edward Said that is entirely archive-based. She revisits her iconic works, such as Client 9 (2010), Venus and Serena (2012), Oscar winner Icarus (2017), and Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich (2022), and describes the challenges in telling real stories that help us understand our world. 

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For today's episode, Maiken Baird chose Lauritz Hartz's Landskab med bakker, or Rolling Landscape, from 1927 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS7062

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Photographer: Terry Gruber

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This conversation with Asger Hussain occurred on March 26, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From her home in Copenhagen, Fuglebjerg-born Danish arts and culture advisor FREDERIKKE MØLLER talks about her recent position with the Danish Embassy in Washington, D.C. facilitating Danish arts programming and dialogue in the US. Frederikke shares her thoughts on the changing US cultural scene under the Trump administration, and describes her current initiatives with Seattle's National Nordic Museum and her dream to work on collaborations among Nordic cultures.

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For today's episode, Frederikke Møller chose Jakob Kudsk Steensen's Primal Tourism from 2016 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS8931

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Photographer: Per Sommer

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This conversation with Gregers Heering occurred on March 11, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From his home in Concord, Massachusetts, New England-born former US Ambassador to Denmark RUFUS GIFFORD recalls his start in politics, his ongoing connection to Denmark, and his work under Barack Obama and Joe Biden. He describes the current problematic chapter in transatlantic relationships, exemplified by the tensions with Denmark and Greenland, the MAGA movement in the US, and his passion to help elect a transformational US leader in 2028 in the post-Trump world order.

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For today's episode, Rufus Gifford chose C.W. Eckersberg's En sejlads til Charlottenlund, or Sailing from Copenhagen to Charlottenlund, from 1824 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS8684

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Photograph Source: Rufus Gifford

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This conversation with Nicolai Rottbøll occurred on March 18, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From her home in Østerbro, Copenhagen- and Madison, Wisconsin-based Danish author PERNILLE IPSEN talks about her book and collective memoir My Seven Mothers: Making a Family in the Danish Women's Movement which is an English translation and adaptation of the 2020 Montana Prize Danish original. She describes her mothers' roles in the 1970s Red Stockings and Lesbian Movements, and traces the differences between writing in English as a historian and in Danish as a nonfiction author.

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For today's episode, Pernille Ipsen chose Dea Trier Mørch's Fødsel, or Birth, from 1978 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KKS2009-19

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Photographer: Bobbie Harte

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This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on December 2, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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From her home in Mar Vista, Los Angeles, Ølstykke-born, Málaga, Spain-raised Danish photojournalist METTE LAMPCOV discusses her work in California documenting climate change and the work of undocumented agricultural workers. With expertise in water, forest, and fire ecology, she revisits her work on the Salton Sea and the Sequoia National Forest. Throughout, Mette shares her thoughts on the state of journalism and photojournalism, AI, and the effects of current US politics on her work.

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For today's episode, Mette Lampcov chose Anna Bjerger's Square from 2019 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS8948   

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Photographer: Bruce Lampcov

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This conversation with Gregers Heering occurred on January 7, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/                               

email: info@danishoriginals.com 

From a recording studio in downtown Copenhagen, Siberian-born Danish journalist and author of I, Putin, SAMUEL RACHLIN recalls his parents' journey back to Denmark from exile, when he was ten. He talks about his natural urge to understand Russia, discovering the US in 1976, and his roles as the first news anchor for TV2 in 1988 and the first Washington Correspondent for TV2 in 1990. Returning from the US after 35 years, Samuel offers insights on the current absence of a rule-based world order.

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For today's episode, Samuel Rachlin chose Gerhard Henning's Stående nøgen pige, or Standing Nude Girl, from 1928–1929 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS5856 

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Photographer: Balazs Veress

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This conversation with Asger Hussain occurred on January 27, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/                               

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From his home in Copenhagen, Gladsaxe-born Danish actor LARS MIKKELSEN talks about his role as Captain Anderson on Frankenstein (2025). He recalls his start as a street performer before Shakespeare sent him on his path to acting. Of his long career, Lars reflects on the TV series Sherlock, The Killing, and Borgen that brought him attention abroad and that led to the American series House of Cards. He talks about faith, Jante Law, his love for language, and seeking significance in his work.

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For today's episode, Lars Mikkelsen chose L.A. Ring's Når toget ventes. Jernbaneoverkørsel ved Roskilde Landevej, or Waiting for the Train. Level Crossing by Roskilde Highway, from 1914 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/DEP535 

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Photographer: Robin Skjoldborg

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This conversation with Tina Jøhnk Christensen occurred on January 13, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/                              

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In her West Hollywood family home, Germany-born, Southern California, Newport-Beach-based Danish-Brazilian entrepreneur NATASHA FISKER talks about her newest business venture, the science-backed skincare brand Checked Out that promises health and wellness that works overnight. Natasha further shares her thoughts on multiculturalism, her background in fashion technology, and the evolving trends of social media for marketing, from brand partnerships to influencer culture.

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For today's episode, Natasha Fisker chose Perseus og Andromeda, or Perseus and Andromeda, by an unknown artist from 1601–1652 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KKSgb1399 

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Photographer: Leta Taylor

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This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on February 1, 2026.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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In her home in Nørrebro, Germany-born, Kolding-raised, Danish-German film and TV editor OLIVIA NEERGAARD-HOLM talks about her process pre-, during, and post-production with her arthouse projects in various languages. She discusses creative ownership and revisits projects such as her 2015 one-take Berlin-set film Victoria, her 2025 US feature The Chronology of Water, and discusses the challenges with the 2024 biographical drama The Apprentice about Donald Trump's formative years. 

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For today's episode, Olivia Neergaard-Holm chose Martinus Rørbye's Udsigt fra kunstnerens vindue, or View from the Artist's Window, from 1823–1827 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS7452 

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Photographer: Emily Turner

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This conversation with Asger Hussain occurred on November 12, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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Back in Denmark on business, Viborg-born, San Francisco-based Danish former soccer player and market manager for Joe & The Juice CHRISTIAN MATHIASEN shares his thoughts on working in the Danish people-centric food and beverage company, where juicers are hosts and customers are guests. Christian talks about arriving in 2023 as the youngest person ever to be sent to the US by the company, and his role in establishing the culture as part of the post-COVID rebirth and revival of SF.

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For today's episode, Christian Mathiasen chose Søren L. Lange's Viborg, or Viborg, from 1822 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KKSgb12512 

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Photographer: Stephanie Hopkins

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This conversation with Christian D. Bruun occurred on November 7, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

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