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On the 2 May 2026 the Danish Permanent Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs will officially open the Danish Embassy in Canberra.
In considering how to best celebrate this important event – we quickly learned that Danish bicycles and the Danish bicycle culture were something that were of strong interest in Australia. You see more and more bicycles on the roads of Australian cities and towns.
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Denmark – along with the Netherlands – is one of the countries where the greatest number of people use the bicycle as a means of transportation. In general, cyclists have very good road conditions with many bicycle paths in towns as well as beautiful tracks throughout the countryside. It is commonplace to commute to work by bicycle (approx. 30% of commuters in Copenhagen), and you can buy special bicycles with room for 2-3 children.
I am therefore happy to welcome the exhibition ‘Dreams on Wheels’ - showcasing Danish cycling culture and innovative Danish bicycle design - to Australia. The exhibition will be touring Australia from May to September 2008, and thereafter New Zealand, before moving on to other venues around the world.
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The exhibition is curated by Thomas Ermacora, a city planner and founder of Etikstudio in Paris, and has previously been shown at the Danish House in Paris, the Danish Design Center in Copenhagen and in the Harbourfront Center of Toronto. The exhibition will promote cycling in a broader cultural context, displaying Danish urban cityscapes alongside urban visions for Australia by Danish architect Jan Gehl.
Jan Gehl has played an instrumental part in the transformation of Copenhagen into one of the most pedestrian and bicycle friendly cities in the world over the past 40 years. This work has also taken him around the world and in Australia he is famous for his contribution to the transformation of inner city Melbourne as well as for his visionary plans for the City of Sydney. Both in the long and short term we need to find alternatives to cars in order to secure clean air.
This goes hand in hand with the forthcoming United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP15), which Denmark will host in December 2009. It is essential that we find sustainable solutions for future generations.
The celebration will include the ‘Dreams on Wheels’ exhibition, guest speakers, films and a community day. Everything is free – so please come and enjoy.
You can find the official programme and more information about the different events on this site.
I hope you will enjoy celebrating the official opening of the Danish Embassy in Canberra and our bicycle-exhibition ‘Dreams on Wheels – Danish cycling culture for urban sustainability’.
Join us at the Showcase gallery, Commonwealth Place.
For more information, please visit Danish Embassy Canberra .
Press release from Danish Embassy Canberra of the 30 April 2026