Kunstsilo
Art museum in a harbourside grain silo
Kunstsilo opened on 11 May 2024 in a converted 1935 grain silo on the Odderøya quay. Its holdings come from three collections totalling more than 8,000 works, with a focus on 20th-century Nordic modernism.
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An art museum in a grain silo
Kunstsilo is an art museum in a converted 1935 grain silo. The building stands on Silokaia, the Odderøya quay just south of the centre, right next to the Kilden theatre and concert hall. Since opening on 11 May 2024 it has shown art from the Nordic countries, above all 20th-century modernism. It is run by the Stiftelsen Kunstsilo foundation.
From silo to museum
The silo was designed by the architects Arne Korsmo and Sverre Aasland. The competition for its conversion was won by Mestres Wåge Arquitectes together with MX_SI, ahead of 101 other practices.
The project was set in motion in 2015 by Nicolai Tangen, who gave his art collection to the city. Funding was secured in 2019 and building work began. Sørlandets Kunstmuseum was based in Kvadraturen until 2021, when it moved out. Kunstsilo opened on 11 May 2024.
The collections
The holdings are made up of three collections. The Tangen Collection alone comprises around 4,500 works from roughly 1920 to 2000. It is joined by the Sørlandssamlingen and Christianssands Billedgalleri, which dates back to 1902.
Together they amount to more than 8,000 works. The museum describes its holdings as the world's largest collection of Nordic modernism.
Nine floors up to the Panorama
The museum is spread over nine floors. On the 5th floor is the sculpture terrace "Kunst i Kuling", and right at the top, on the 9th floor, is the Panorama. The exhibitions and the Panorama keep the same opening hours.
There is also a shop and a brasserie. The brasserie stays open later than the exhibitions, until 22:00 from Monday to Saturday.
Visiting and the surrounding area
The exhibitions and Panorama open daily at 11:00. From Wednesday to Friday they stay open until 21:00, on the other days until 17:00. Children and young people up to 18 go free. A ticket is valid all day, so you can leave and come back later. Tickets are sold on Kunstsilo's ticket page.
Kilden is right next door, and the Fiskebrygga fish quay on the Gravane canal is close by. If you fancy some greenery afterwards, follow the waymarked paths on Odderøya. For more museums and places to visit in the city, see the overview of Sights.