2025 will be a remarkable year for Kunstsilo, featuring 14 exhibitions ranging from local landscapes to immersive digital experiences and top-tier contemporary Nordic art. The aim is to offer something for everyone.
"I hope and believe we will meet a wide variety of expectations for Kunstsilo," says Karl Olav Segrov Mortensen, Head of Programming.
In October, Kunstsilo achieved its 2024 goal of welcoming 150,000 visitors. In 2025, visitors can look forward to a diverse range of exhibitions and installations.
2025 kicks off with Photography
The program aims to reflect Kunstsilo's artistic profile, encompassing Nordic art history, the art and culture of Agder, contemporary global art, and a diversity of perspectives.
The first new exhibition of 2025 will open on the second floor, showcasing photography by renowned Norwegian photographer Mette Tronvoll. Represented in the Tangen Collection, Tronvoll will primarily present new works featuring Hidra Island near Flekkefjord.
"Tronvoll is bringing a completely new production, showcasing and exploring new techniques in her work. It will be exciting to see what this entails," says Mortensen.
Exploring local places with a fresh set of eyes resonates with many, Mortensen believes.
"When you dive into something deeply local, it often has a broad appeal. Tronvoll has also worked internationally for many years, so it will be interesting to see if this project makes its way beyond Norway," he adds.
One month later, Else Hagen’s exhibition Between People will open in the same space. Hagen, born in Eydehavn, Arendal, in 1914, is a key figure in Norwegian modernism, known for her monumental public works, including Society in the Norwegian Parliament's staircase hall.
"Hagen has flown under the radar for many, but she was a prominent and socially engaged artist in post-war Norway. This exhibition connects modernism with the family and social life of her era," explains Mortensen.
Danish Cobra Artists
The third floor, Kunstsilo’s hub for content production, will feature a major exhibition in April of works by Danish artist duo Carl-Henning Pedersen and Else Alfelt, central figures in the Cobra movement.
The exhibition will premiere at Kunstsilo before embarking on a European tour.
"This exhibition emphasizes the playful, creative, and spiritual sides of humanity, contrasting with a conflict-driven world," Mortensen says.
The Dream Poem by Torvald Moseid
A favorite among visitors is being brought out from Kunstsilo’s collections. Draumkvedet (The Dream Poem) is the final masterpiece by Torvald Moseid, completed seven years before his death. This 54-meter-wide embroidered work depicts the renowned Norwegian vision poem, which tells a story about life after death.
The piece will be displayed on Kunstsilo's fourth floor, in dialogue with other works in the collection, including Marianne Heske’s Gjerdeløa, which is also recognized as an iconic piece of Norwegian art.
Local Nature and Anniversary
It’s time for graphic art at Kunstsilo! Myren Grafikk, an artist-run workshop in Kristiansand, was co-founded by Kjell Nupen in 1975. Its 50th anniversary in 2025 will be celebrated with various activities across multiple locations in a broad local collaboration. Additionally, a major and impressive exhibition will take place on the museum's second floor.
“This will be a historic exhibition that showcases how artists in the Nordic region have worked with graphic art over the years. We aim to explain the different techniques and materials used, as well as share stories about some of the artists who have been pioneers in graphic art as an art form,” says Mortensen.
At the same time, the Landscapes of Southern Norway exhibition will open, highlighting how different artists have depicted the beautiful landscapes of the region. The exhibition features works from Christianssands billedgalleri and Sørlandssamlingen, offering a mix of well-known and lesser-known pieces.
Powerful Experiences in S-Lab
If you were captivated by the digital presentation of Reidar Aulie’s Tivoli in the S-Lab exhibition space, you can look forward to more extraordinary experiences in 2025. In March, Over Seas will bring together video art, classical music, and digital technology. This exhibition continues the Nordic Art Symphony project, which began with a concert at Kilden Performing Arts Centre in 2023. Visitors will experience video works by Elina Brotherus, accompanied by music curated by Eivind Aadland and performed by the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra.
In June, S-Lab will host a production tied to the Landscapes of Southern Norway exhibition. It is based on the artwork Linadalen from Mandal by the artist Amaldus Nielsen, renowned for his stunning landscape paintings.
“The work depicts a forest scene outside Mandal, part of our collection. It’s a fantastic piece on its own and very different from Tivoli. The digital production is currently in development, and I’m eager to see how it turns out,” says Mortensen.
Sigur Rós Star on the Fourth Floor
Music enthusiasts have something extra to look forward to: Jón Þór Birgisson, also known as Jónsi, the vocalist of Sigur Rós, will bring his installation VOX to Kunstsilo in May. Mortensen promises an immersive sensory experience featuring sound, light, scent, and vibrations.
“Jónsi has spent recent years working on installations and sculptures, often rooted in sound and music. The installation VOX premiered at a major gallery in Los Angeles in 2023, and this will serve as a European debut for the piece at Kunstsilo. The installation heavily revolves around his own voice, and it’s truly special—I believe it will be incredible,” says Mortensen.
Following this Icelandic contribution, works by a prominent regional artist, Inger Johanne Rasmussen from Kristiansand, will take over the fourth floor. Rasmussen is one of Norway's most renowned textile artists, known for her large, hand-sewn wool appliqués. Mortensen believes this exhibition will appeal to a wider audience, beyond those typically interested in textile art.
“Rasmussen’s works are incredibly detailed, very beautiful, and open to many interpretations. It’s a warm exhibition, perfect for leading us into the winter season,” says Mortensen.
At the end of September, Birger Carlstedt and Irma Salo Jæger will take over the third floor. Both are originally from Finland, but the latter has lived her entire adult life in Norway.
Birger Carlstedt is one of Finland's great modern pioneers, offering us insight into his gradual journey toward abstract and nonfigurative art. In 1968, Irma Salo Jæger painted a series of 21 abstract paintings that together form a visual poem about unity and peace. Her series reveals a more poetic and meaningful side of abstract art.
New productions in a new building
In September, the public is invited to observe the artistic process up close as local artist Ylve Thon creates a four-meter-high fresco painting inside a silo pipe in the Silo Hall.
“She will work on the painting in front of the audience over a period of 2-3 weeks, and we think it's exciting to bring visitors closer to the art as it is being made. Thon is collaborating with masoner Harald Axel Weissflog who will first build a brick wall, which she will then paint on daily. The fresco technique involves painting on wet plaster, a method famously used by artists such as Michelangelo and the southern Norwegian artist Emanuel Vigeland” explains Mortensen.
Kunstsilo aims to challenge perceptions of what art is and can be. Mortensen shares that the museum plans to further develop Kunstsilo as a unique location, utilizing both the Silo Hall and the silo façade for exhibitions and productions.
“When we do something on our façade, it’s visible far west in the city. It will help create a ‘wow effect’ and increase visibility. As for the Silo Hall, it’s already an impressive space to walk into, and it becomes even more powerful when we stage impactful projects there. Based on conversations I’ve had with artists so far, this is a very attractive space for creating unique works,” says Mortensen.
A Special Year
The 14 exhibitions planned for 2025 far exceed the usual frequency of events at Kunstsilo in the coming years. In other words, 2025 will be an exceptionally eventful year for visitors and members alike.
“I want us to reach a wide audience, and I want people to feel that Kunstsilo is a place where something exciting is always happening,” says Mortensen.