An Art Lover's Guide To Oslo
Through an art tour of Oslo’s past and present, we look at must see venues for all art enthusiasts, from museums and galleries to sculpture parks, which reveal how the Norwegian capital has defined itself as an artistic hub in Scandinavia.
1. Astrup Fearnley Museum
Building, Museum, Park, Art Gallery
The National Gallery
The National Gallery was founded in 1837 and is Norway’s largest public collection of paintings. The opening of the gallery can be seen as a significant step in Norway’s cultural history, representing a celebration of Norwegian art which would help fuel Norway’s independence from Sweden in 1905. Today the gallery holds tens of thousands of works from both Norwegian and international artists, and one of the many highlights is Edvard Munch’s The Scream.
The National Gallery, Universitetsgata 13, 0164 Oslo, +47 21 98 20 00.
The Museum of Contemporary Art
Oslo’s Museum of Contemporary Art presents temporary exhibitions of loaned works and items from its collections, utilizing its permanent displays to show some of its treasured pieces. Opened in 1990, the museum was founded with the aim of chronicling post-war Norwegian art, and today its exhibited artworks spread across a vast range of mediums. The Art Nouveau-inspired building it is housed in was built in 1907 and was designed by the Norwegian architect Ingvar Olav Hjorth. Further highlighting its national pride, this stunning building is made from Norwegian granite and marble.
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Bankplassen 4, 0151 Oslo, +47 21 98 20 00.
2. The National Museum – Architecture
Art Gallery, Museum, Building
3. The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design
Museum
4. Norwegian Center for Design and Architecture (DogA)
The Norwegian Center for Design and Architecture (DogA) was founded in 2005 to act ‘as a meeting place for design, architecture and related subject areas’. The center is home to the Oslo Architecture Triennale, which takes place every third autumn and lasts for 10 weeks. Today the center is a significant venue in Norway’s design and architecture industries, and the exhibitions and conferences held here feature the work of the best practitioners in the country and around the world.
DogA, Hausmanns gate 16, 0182 Oslo, +47 23 29 28 70.
5. Munch Museum
Library, Museum, Building, Opera House
6. The Vigeland Park
Museum, Park
Oslo is also home to lists of fantastic independent galleries that are scattered across the city. Tjuvholmen is a cultural hub that is home to a handful of standout galleries such as Galleri Riis, Galleri Brandstrup and Pushwagner Gallery. Other noteworthy institutes include Galleri Maria Veie and Kunsthall Oslo.
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