Photo by Martin Bremnes | Visit Norway
Kunstsilo in Kristiansand is much more than your regular museum
The world’s largest collection of Nordic modernist art is found in an old silo on a small island in Southern Norway. How did that happen?
Although Norway may still be best known for its majestic nature, Viking history, northern lights, midnight sun, skiing and winter sports, there’s a whole different side to our modest nation which is worth exploring.
For a relatively small country, Norway is a surprisingly rich and varied art destination.
Historically, we’ve fostered some of the great figures of the art world – Edvard Munch, Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Grieg are just the tip of the iceberg.
Currently, Norwegian museums and galleries are making a splash in the international art scene, with the Munch museum and the new National Museum in Oslo among the highlights.
Photo by Kunstsilo | Alan Williams Photography
Photo by Fredrik Ahlsen | Visit Norway
Photo by Kunstsilo | Alan Williams Photography
In 2024, a brand new art powerhouse popped up in an unlikely place – in an old grain silo on the small island of Odderøya in Kristiansand in Southern Norway.
Kunstsilo (which literally means “art silo”) is home to the most extensive collection of modernist Nordic art from the 20th century you’ll find anywhere.
The museum has become an instant hit, both locally and nationally, and it’s been hailed as a reason in itself to visit Norway by several international media outlets. Still, the Kunstsilo adventure has only just begun.
" The past year has exceeded our wildest dreams and expectations. And the response from our visitors – which is what really matters – has been overwhelming. There’s something about the combination of a transformed grain silo from 1935 and an ever-changing exhibition of world-class art that really hits home."
- Eldbjørg Dahl,
Commercial Director at Kunstsilo.
A rocky road toward a regional powerhouse
Photo by Iselinn Andersen | Visit Sørlandet
Kunstsilo’s journey began in 2015, when Norwegian hedge fund manager, philanthropist and art collector Nicolai Tangen decided to donate the majority of his extensive art collection to Sørlandet Art Museum in his hometown, Kristiansand.
However, the idea of building a new museum in an old, deteriorated grain silo on the small island Odderøya was met with opposition and heated discussion in the local community.
“There was a lot of noise. The idea – somewhat typically Norwegian – was that Kunstsilo would be an elitist project, exclusively for the few and initiated”, says Dahl.
Photo by Kunstsilo | Alan Williams Photography
Perhaps it didn’t help that Tangen is one of the city's wealthiest people. During the local election in 2019, political parties that argued against the new museum gained tremendous popularity.
“What to prioritize in a society will always be a matter of debate, of course. But the boom of new art galleries and museums in Norway the last decade or so has really been the opposite of elitist”.
It didn’t take too long for the tide to turn in Kristiansand, either.
“We could feel the shift in opinion as we unwrapped this gift that had been hidden in brown paper for years. Finally, what we’d been working with was there for everyone to see, and the excitement and pride was palatable. As a matter of fact, there are 13 times more visitors to art museums in Kristiansand today than there were ten years ago”, Dahl says.
Photo by Kunstsilo | Alan Williams Photography
World-class art meets iconic architecture
At Kunstsilo, art comes in every form imaginable: from striking paintings and bold sculptures to intricate textiles, ceramics, and cutting-edge photography.
The Tangen Collection – one of three permanent collections at the art centre – currently consists of more than 6,500 works, and it’s still growing.
Here, you’ll find central works by prominent Nordic artists such as Reidar Aulie, Asger Jorn, Lars-Gunnar Nordström, and Anna-Eva Bergman – and too many more to mention. In fact, it’s probably the largest and most important collection of Nordic modernist art from the period 1910 – 1990.
Still, the parts of the collection that are exhibited at Kunstsilo are constantly changing, with only two permanent fixtures at this time.
“One of them is Marianne Heske’s iconic Gjerdeløa, a 350-year old hay barn which is exhibited at the top of the silo. The placement just below the roof is amazing. Then there’s Paul Brand’s female sculpture Madammen, which is exhibited on the pier outside. But there will be more works on permanent display”, Eldbjørg Dahl promises.
Marianne Heske’s Gjerdeløa at Kunstsilo. Photo by Alan Williams Photography.
The building alone is worth a visit – a sculpture in itself, so to speak. Originally from 1935, and the first building in Kristiansand in the functionalist style, it won the prestigious Houen Foundation Award for excellent architecture all the way back in 1939.
Nowadays, it’s not only a structure to gaze at, but a place to take in the surroundings.
“On the upper floor there’s the Panorama bar, a beautiful place where you can watch the ships sail in and let your mind wander freely. After wandering through the various exhibitions, getting that panoramic look on the harbor is the cherry on the cake”, says Dahl.
On the list of the greatest places
The enthusiasm for Kunstilo has spread well beyond Kristiansand, Norway, Scandinavia and even Europe.
The museum was featured on TIME Magazine’s list World’s Greatest Places 2024, just months after it opened. And The New York Times listed Kristiansand as one of 52 Places to Visit in 2025, with Kunstsilo as a main feature of their recommendation.
“It’s partially a result of hard work and determination. We’re confident enough to consider ourselves worthy of comparisons to Tate Gallery and Guggenheim. But we’re grateful that we’re getting noticed around the world, of course”, says Eldbjørg Dahl, adding:
“It’s fantastic, really. Both for us and for Kristiansand as a destination.”
Photo by Fredrik Ahlsen | Visit Norway
Photo by Iselinn Andersen | Visit Sørlandet
Photo by Fredrik Ahlsen | Visit Norway
Photo by Alan Williams Photography
Photo by Even Askildsen
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