SPECTA represents a diverse group of Scandinavian and international artists. Presenting a wide range of media, the gallery profile emphasizes great variety with a focus on the artist’s original approach to material / media and carefully defined practices. The gallery's artists are all represented in public and private collections.

Founded by Else johannesen in 1980 SPECTA is one of the longest standing galleries in Denmark, and it was passed down to her daughter, Gitte Johannesen, at the beginning of 2019.

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History

SPECTA opened as Galleri Specta in October 1980 and was founded by Else Johannesen.
The gallery was located at Volden 10 in the centre of Aarhus, Denmark, in two small adjescent shops.

As a start, the gallery was showing both art prints and exhibitions by Danish artists.
In 1983, Galleri Specta was the first gallery to exhibit a number of the young Danish artists, as a group called “The Young Wild”. Else Johannesen continued to exhibit young talents like Erik A. Frandsen, Claus Carstensen, Lars Nørgaard, Peter Bonde, as well as established artists as Lene Adler Pedersen, Bjørn Nørgaard and Peter Brandes. The artistic perspective was also emphasized with exhibtions by Poul Gernes, Sven Dalsgaard, Willy Ørskov and Poul Pedersen.
In the 1990’ties, Else Johannesen started working with the new generation of artists, as a group called Baghuset. artists like Peter Holst Henckel, Peter Neuchs and Peter Røssel. As the gallery was moved to it’s present location in Copenhagen in 1993, the collaboration with the artists from the 1980’ties ended, as these artists already had representation in Copenhagen.

Since moving to Copenhagen, the gallery has added international artists to it’s program, participated in a number of art fairs and continues to always look for new talent, and present important and surprising exhibitions.