KUNSTEN - An architectural pearl

KUNSTEN in Aalborg is like a sculpture

...that almost grow out of the rolling, green landscape to form a beautiful frame around worldclass art. Art that ranges wide and contains excellent stories. The building that is designed by the world famous Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto in cooperation with Jean-Jacques Baruël and Elissa Aalto is in an international class of its own. This means that citizens and tourists alike pour into the museum in Aalborg to go exploring in the fabulous building and to see the museums unique collection of modern and contemporary art. 

Quality down to the detail

When you enter the museum, the first thing that strikes you, is the light and spaciousness of the exhibition halls. The light falls in from all directions, illuminating the works of art to emphasise shapes, colors and textures, illustrating Aalto’s motto that, “What acoustics are for a concert hall, light is for an art museum.” 

Uncompromising quality pervades the architecture, right down to the smallest detail. Tables, chairs, doors, windows, railings, stairways, door handles, lamps – everything was designed specifically for Kunsten in Aalborg. The interior is clad in ash, black cowhide, bronze and other materials that complement the white facades, giving the halls an aura of exclusive elegance.

The art must match the venue

The perfect venuefor the art also means that it is not random what kind of pieces will be allowed inside the museum. The art needs to live up to the venue. In addition to their artistic quality, some of the works also tell fascinating stories. The Danish surrealist painter Wilhelm Freddie, for instance, was barred from entering Germany during the Nazi era because of a single painting. Another of his works was confiscated by Danish police in 1936 because of its “pornographic nature,” and later contributed to an entire redefinition of the legal term, pornography. Both works are on display in the museum. 

Some of the stories are told by the works themselves. The visitor has ample opportunity to explore Denmark’s cultural heritage and see how people have interpreted their world through art from around 1900 to the present. From Lundstrøm to Jorn, from Søndergaard to Salto. 

Come see - and enjoy - for yourself.