Renzo Piano-designed Astrup Fearnley Museum opens in Oslo with 1,500 contemporary works collection.
The new Astrup Fearnley Museum, situated on Oslo's waterfront at Tjuvholmen peninsula and designed by Renzo Piano, has officially opened. This museum houses a remarkable collection of 1,500 works amassed by shipping magnate Hans Rasmus Astrup, with an exhibition area that spans 4,000 square meters. Director Gunnar Kvaran emphasizes the collection's emphasis on notable artists like Jeff Koons and Cindy Sherman. The opening exhibition, titled 'To Be with Art Is All We Ask,' features pieces from Damien Hirst and various Norwegian artists. Notably, the museum boasts a glass roof and diverse exhibition spaces. Additionally, a 2013 exhibition focused on Brazilian contemporary art is planned. The city of Oslo provided the building to enhance the locale, located at Strandpromenaden 2, 0253 Oslo.
Key facts
- The Astrup Fearnley Museum opened in a new Renzo Piano-designed building on Oslo's Tjuvholmen peninsula
- The museum houses 1,500 contemporary artworks from the collection of shipping magnate Hans Rasmus Astrup
- Exhibition space tripled to about 4,000 square meters across two buildings plus a sculpture garden and private shoreline
- Director Gunnar Kvaran has led the museum for 11 years and emphasizes collecting multiple works by few artists
- The collection includes Europe's highest concentrations of works by Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, and Matthew Barney
- The inaugural exhibition 'To Be with Art Is All We Ask' features artists like Damien Hirst, Richard Prince, and Norwegian artists Vibeke Tandberg, Bjarne Melgaard, and Ida Ekblad
- Future exhibitions include a 2013 show on contemporary Brazilian art following previous exhibitions on India and China
- The museum's opening is part of Oslo's waterfront development, with nearby gallery expansions and planned National Museum construction
Entities
Artists
- Jeff Koons
- Cindy Sherman
- Matthew Barney
- Damien Hirst
- Richard Prince
- Vibeke Tandberg
- Bjarne Melgaard
- Ida Ekblad
- Josh Smith
- Seth Price
- Kelley Walker
- Robert Gober
- Dan Colen
- Nate Lowman
- Tom Sachs
- Anselm Kiefer
- Paul Chan
- Olafur Eliasson
- Paul McCarthy
- Gilbert & George
- Susan Philipsz
- David Zink Yi
- Dafna Shalom
Institutions
- Astrup Fearnley Museum
- National Museum
- Kunstverein
- Gerhardsen Gerner
- Peder Lund
Locations
- Oslo
- Norway
- Tjuvholmen
- Berlin
- Germany
- New York
- USA
- Brazil
- India
- China