Kunstsilo Opens in Norway: Former Grain Silo Becomes Nordic Art Hub
The Kunstsilo, a cultural hub in Kristiansand, Norway, has emerged from a former grain silo originally constructed in 1935 by Arne Korsmo and Sverre Aasland. After winning a competition in 2017, Mestres Wåge Arquitectes and MX_SI Architectural Studio undertook the renovation, which encompasses three floors and 3,300 square meters dedicated to exhibitions. CEO Reidar Fuglestad revealed the center's opening following six years of meticulous planning, emphasizing a partnership with the Tangen Collection, the largest private repository of Nordic modernist art (1910–1990). The first exhibition, "Passions of the North," is set to launch on May 11, 2024, showcasing over 700 pieces from the Tangen Collection across 25 rooms, focusing on Nordic artists’ interactions with Modernism in key urban centers.
Key facts
- Kunstsilo is located in a former grain silo designed in 1935 by Arne Korsmo and Sverre Aasland.
- The conversion was carried out by Mestres Wåge Arquitectes and MX_SI Architectural Studio, winners of a 2017 competition with over 100 entries from 17 countries.
- The center has 3,300 square meters of exhibition space across three floors.
- Kunstsilo houses the Tangen Collection, Sørlandets Kunstmuseum, and Kristiansand Civic Art Gallery.
- The Tangen Collection includes over 5,500 works by about 300 artists, covering Nordic modernism from 1910–1990.
- Nicolai Tangen is the philanthropist behind the Tangen Collection.
- Sørlandets Kunstmuseum was founded in 1995 and holds around 1,700 works.
- The Civic Art Gallery has 883 paintings, including works by Edvard Munch.
- The inaugural exhibition 'Passions of the North' opens May 11, 2024, curated by Åsmund Thorkildsen.
- The exhibition features over 700 works in 25 rooms with distinct pastel atmospheres.
Entities
Artists
- Arne Korsmo
- Sverre Aasland
- Reidar Aulie
- Asger Jorn
- Lars-Gunnar Nordström
- Anna-Eva Bergman
- Else Marie Jakobsen
- Christian Krohg
- Amaldus Clarin Nielsen
- Kjell Nupen
- Edvard Munch
- Arne Ekeland
- Marianne Heske
- Sigvard Gundersen
- Laura Gundersen
- Nicolai Tangen
- Åsmund Thorkildsen
- Reidar Fuglestad
Institutions
- Kunstsilo
- Mestres Wåge Arquitectes
- MX_SI Architectural Studio
- Tangen Collection
- Sørlandets Kunstmuseum
- Kristiansand Civic Art Gallery
- Kristiansand Cathedral School
Locations
- Kristiansand
- Norway
- Berlin
- Munich
- Paris
- London
- New York
- Scandinavia