Von Bartha Gallery Opens in a 19th-Century Lighthouse in Copenhagen

Swiss gallery von Bartha, founded in Basel in 1970 as Galerie Minimax by Margareta and Miklos von Bartha, has opened a second European location in Copenhagen in 2021. The new space is housed in Kridttårnet ("chalk tower"), an iconic 1883 building shaped like a lighthouse that was originally part of the Carlsberg brewery entrance. The 75-square-meter exhibition space includes a courtyard for sculptures. Director Stefan von Bartha deliberately avoided typical art hubs, continuing the gallery's tradition of unconventional locations: from 2006 to 2022 it operated in a converted barn in S-chanf in the Engadin Alps, while the Basel space is in a former garage. The Copenhagen venue has hosted solo shows by Claudia Wieser (January 2022), Landon Metz (March 2022), Andrew Bick (May 2022), Marina Adams (August 2022), and Bob & Roberta Smith (October 2022), plus occasional modern art exhibitions. The surrounding Carlsberg City District, redesigned by Danish architecture firm Entasis, blends preserved industrial buildings with luxury retail, design boutiques, and restaurants. Von Bartha praised the neighborhood's mix of old workers' houses, antique shops, and eateries like Sanchez and Fiskebaren.