Cultural background
"Nordic-ness" is a term which raises debates every now and then within the Nordic countries. Whether Nordic art exists as a separate entity is questioned by art historians, critics and the artists themselves.

Although the countries are cultural and geographical neighbours, they each have a different cultural heritage. Denmark is on the border of Scandinavia and the rest of Europe, a trading and seafaring nation which has come under influences from the south and west, from countries like France and England. Denmark has been a member of the European Union since 1972 and even prior to that time, considered itself more European than Scandinavian.

Norway's vast coastline opens the country to the world. The isolation of the high mountains and deep fjords in the past resulted in a rich local folk culture which still leaves its mark on the nation.

Sweden, which is closed in at the centre of Scandinavia, cultivated its cultural contacts with Germany and countries in the east across the Baltic Sea.

Finland's situation between east and west resulted in a fruitful mix of the two, with strong tendencies towards the east.

Greenland has quite a different cultural background from the rest of the Nordic countries. Eighty per cent of the population is Inuit and the rest is primarily Danish. Greenland has always represented the outer frontier of human settlement due to conditions caused by its geographical position.

Culture in Greenland has been influenced by its harsh geographical conditions. Traditional hunting for fish, seals and whales was by far the greatest source of livelihood for centuries. Fishing has become the most important part of the modern industry, though some regions like the east and north still depend on hunting as their chief occupation.