Bursting with colour and symbols, ARoS Collection 1960–now highlights the extensive exchange of ideas, idioms, perception characteristic of the second half of the 20th century: 60 years of art history in a time where the concept of art itself was highly debated and radically took on new forms and expressions.  

The exhibition opens with a suite of galleries dedicated to the diversity of artistic experimentation and takes off in a period of time where the ideal of classical painting was broken down, and art became political and conceptualized. Visitors can look forward to a vigorous encounter with works associated with Pop Art, Noveau réalism and Fluxus. 

Works by Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Josef Beuys, and Raymond Hains are presented alongside early works and experiments by then young Danish artists such as Lene Adler, Bjørn Nørgaard, Per Kirkeby, Kirsten Ortwed, and Poul Gernes. This generation of Danish artists threw themselves into interpreting international trends and later became leading figures in Danish contemporary art.  

”The new collection exhibition is part of ARoS’ vision to increase visibility and build on the quality and reputation of the museum’s own collection. Much loved favorites are shown in dialogue with works by artists who have previously been underrepresented showcasing the depth and breadth of the ARoS collection and its commitment to championing artistic innovation and risk taking,” says museum director Rebecca Matthews. 

“The exhibition provides visitors with the opportunity to experience works from the collection, including masterpieces which have not been on view for a long time,” she continues.  

Bold experiments in painting in Denmark in the 1980s is celebrated through the display of works by De Unge Vilde, Peter Bonde, Erik A. Frandsen, Claus Carstensen, and Inge Ellegaard. These artists brought expressive painting back to centre stage, and the artists’ inner emotional life and existential issues became part of their experiments with the concept of a painting and its’ limits. In the 1990s layers of irony and interaction was added, and questions of identity and representation were raised by artists around the globe.  

The exhibition also showcases recent acquisition of contemporary art including works by Olafur Eliasson, Mona Hatoum, Jenny Holzer, Alexander Tovborg, Lu Yang, and Sif Itona Westerberg. 

A classic survey of art history

ARoS’ landmark collection allows us to present a broad survey of art history and to give visitors a rare opportunity to walk through the periods and changes of art nationally and internationally.  

“Very few collections in Denmark contains this broad scope of both Danish and international art, and I am sure the classic rehang of our collection will benefit and inspire both new and older generations,” says curator and head of collections Jakob Vengberg Sevel. 

ARoS Collection 1960-now is on view from February 10, 2024 at ARoS Level 6.   

Press photos can be freely downloaded from Dropbox when giving due credit.