Kunstsilo Nordic art museum in Kristiansand

Kunstsilo in Kristiansand is a new, modern art museum and an iconic cultural landmark that has attracted significant attention both nationally and internationally. Located on the waterfront in Kristiansand, the museum is a converted grain silo from 1935, making it unique with its distinctive form and historical roots. The architecture combines industrial aesthetics with modern art facilities, offering an exciting contrast between old and new.

Kunstsilo houses an extensive collection of modern art, with a primary focus on Nordic and Norwegian modernism from 1930 to 1980, including the valuable Tangen Collection. This collection features works from some of the most prominent Nordic artists, providing visitors with insight into an important period in art history.

In a prestigious selection, Kunstsilo was highlighted as one of the “World’s Greatest Places” and ranked among the 50 best places to visit in 2024 by TIME Magazine.

Kunstsilo has also been named the world’s most beautiful museum in Prix Versailles 2025, one of the most renowned design and architecture awards in the world.

About the Art

Kunstsilo is home to three art collections: Christianssands Billedgalleri, the Sørland Collection, and the new Tangen Collection, totaling over 7,500 artworks.

Kristiansand native Nicolai Tangen has long had a passionate interest in art, especially in Norwegian and Nordic modernist art. Today, Tangen owns one of the world's largest collections of Nordic modernist art from 1920 to 1990. As of March 2019, the collection includes around 2,700 works, with new pieces continually added.

The Tangen Collection contains a representative selection of major works by leading Nordic artists from this period. Among the artists featured are Jakob Weidemann, Aase Texmon Rygh, COBRA artist Asger Jorn, sculptor Sonja Ferlov Mancoba, and Swedish painter Olle Bærtling.

About Kunstsilo

The silo was originally designed by architects Arne Korsmo and Sverre Aasland, considered Norway's foremost functionalist architects in the interwar period. In 1939, the silo received the prestigious Houens Fonds Prize for excellent architecture.

With its central location at what is now called Silokaia, the silo has become a landmark with architectural and cultural historical value. In 2006, Kristiansand’s city council designated the silo as a preservation-worthy building.

An open architectural competition was held to ensure the old building would receive a functional and attractive design as an art museum. Among 101 architecture firms from 17 nations, Mestres Wåge Arquitectes and MX_SI Architectural Studio won the competition.

The jury praised the architects’ elegant balance between preserving the building’s original appearance and enhancing its inherent sculptural and spatial possibilities. A vibrant plaza with cafes and shops strengthens its connection to the nearby cultural center Kilden, the local arts school, and the new district, Kanalbyen.

The idea for Kunstsilo emerged in 2015 after Nicolai Tangen decided to donate his art collection to the AKO Foundation, which would, in turn, grant Sørlandet Art Museum perpetual rights to the collection. The city council had already decided in 2006 that the silo would be preserved and rezoned for cultural purposes by a clear majority vote.