Artist, Claus Carstensen, recalls the exhibition in the following anecdote published in O - Overgadens anniversary book: Overgaden 1986-2011 (2011):

"I moved to Cologne in 1986, a couple of months before Overgaden opened its doors, and so I did not have the chance to study it close up until I moved back in 1993, when I became a professor at the art academy in Copenhagen. But in the late 1970s and up until the time when Overgaden opened, exhibition possibilities were extremely limited, and although a warehouse environment like Overgaden may not have been the perfect location, it played an important role at the time.

The first time I exhibited was in 1989, in the exhibition Musikerne maler, malerne musicerer & digterne holder kæft (The Musicians Paint, the Painters Make Music & the Poets Shut Up), to which I had been invited by Vagn E. Olsson and Xenia Foss, whom I knew from the punk days. For this exhibition the musicians and painters swapped roles. It was very common in the early eighties to hold concerts and readings at exhibition openings, and we turned this idea upside down. I don’t know how good it was in terms of artistic value, but as a momentary burst of energy it was quite interesting. The same applied to the relay exhibition I took part in in 2005, which was curated by Denise Hawrysio. The actual exhibition was a bit of a mess, but the process was very productive. I produced some drawings together with Nikolaj Recke, which later resulted in three joint lithographs that were printed by Edition Copenhagen.

In 2002 I had a solo exhibition, where I showed a series of paintings titled Silent Takeover. After nine busy years as a professor at the academy I felt the need to express myself in a slightly larger context than a conventional gallery presentation, and Overgaden was ideal, because there is enough space here to display a full year’s work. But the spaces are difficult – something should be done about that. As it is now, with the uneven floor, the large cast-iron columns and the slightly chipboard aesthetics, it is more like an artists’ space than an art centre. I think you could get more out of it if it was a bit more white-cube-like, because in terms of proportions these spaces work really well.

Although the rooms are awkward and the quality has been variable, the bottom line is that there have been a lot of good exhibitions here, and there is a need for a place like this, even if the structure of the organisation is quite fragile. In terms of structure, profile and finances it has been like this right from the start, so it is beginning to seem like part of the DNA of the place. My impression, however, is that it is being used more now than before – for example, for book fairs, seminars and receptions, which otherwise would lack a suitable venue. And there is always a very pleasant atmosphere at the exhibition openings; when it is well attended, there is a tremendous intensity here that you do not get in many other places. It is a really great place on a warm summer evening, when everyone is sitting outside along the canal."