Museum Jorn, Silkeborg

Museum Jorn, Silkeborg

File:Silkeborg Kunstmuseum indg.jpg Museum Jorn - the Entrance
Established	1965
Location	Gudenåvej 7-9 DK-8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
Type	Art museum
Visitors	50.000
Director	Jacob Thage
Website	Museum Jorn, Silkeborg

Museum Jorn, Silkeborg, (formerly Silkeborg Kunstmuseum) is a Danish art museum located in beautiful surroundings by Gudenåen in Silkeborg, Denmark.

Museum Jorn holds the collections that were developed by Asger Jorn from the early 1950s until his death in 1973, since when they have doubled in extent.

In consequence, the museum is not only home to the most comprehensive collection of Jorn’s own works but also holds thousands of paintings, sculptures and works on paper by other artists – members of Cobra and older international artists who inspired Jorn or were kindred artistic spirits including, among others, Max Ernst, Francis Picabia, Fernand Léger and Man Ray.

History and architecture

Museum Jorn's history dates back to 1940 when a museum association of Silkeborg and Neighbourhood made its first acquisitions of art. In 1951, a single room in the local history museum in Silkeborg (Silkeborg Museum) was converted to hold modern art.

In 1961 the museum opened an exhibition at the premises of a school building in Silkeborg, and in 1965 the independent institution Silkeborg Museum of Art was founded. In 1973 the museum took over the whole school building, where the museum was housed until 1982.

At Asger Jorn's birthday, the third of March, 1982, Silkeborg Museum of Art moved to a newly built complex of buildings on an 8,000 m² site near the river Gudenåen. The building was designed by the architect Niels Frithiof Truelsen and was inspired by Constantin Brâncuși's studio in front of Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Because of the museum's large international collection, own acquisitions, and artists’ and collectors' donations the premises were inadequate. This resulted in an extension that was inaugurated in 1998. The extension was also designed by Niels Frithiof Truelsen. Thereby, the exhibition area was increased to 3,200 m² along with a daylight free gallery in the basement for exhibition of works on paper.

In 2010 the museum underwent a major renovation and changed its name to Museum Jorn, Silkeborg. A modern Cobra Forum was designed so that visitors now can immerse themselves in the museum's extensive research material on and by Asger Jorn in electronic media and in books, etc.

With the reopening and change of name it is highlighted that the museum will continue to challenge its current role. The many new initiatives are part of the strategy to respond to Jorn's vision for the museum and to promote the artist who is considered to be Denmark's most significant in the 20th century.

Collections

Museum Jorn houses over 20,000 works by more than 500 different artists from around the world. By Jorn is seen some 100 paintings, and as many ceramic works, graphics and drawings. Two of his major works, the painting Stalingrad, and the fourteen-meter-long tapestryThe Long Journey, which was created in collaboration with Pierre Wemaëre, are centrally located in the museum.

The museum's own collection begins around 1900 with work groups of Johannes Holbek, Julius Paulsen, Albert Gottschalk and from the following decades Jens Adolf Jerichau and Aksel Jørgensen. From the second half of the 20th century works of Sonja Ferlov, Erik Ortvad, Frank Rubin, Paul Gernes, Per Kirkeby and Richard Winther are shown. The collection also contains works by artists from Eastern Europe.

Two large ceramic walls donated by Jean Dubuffet and Pierre Alechinsky meet the visitors in the museum's courtyard, where also Erik Nyholm's ceramic blue stones light up.

Inside you can see some of the artists who inspired Jorn: Max Ernst, Francis Picabia, Le Corbusier, Fernand Léger, Man Ray. The Danish art is represented by Ejler Bille, Bjerke Petersen, Carl-Henning Pedersen, Egill Jacobsen, Henry Heerup and Wilhelm Freddie. From Cobra group the following can be mentioned (besides Asger Jorn): Pierre Alechinsky, Karel Appel, Constant Nieuwenhuis, Reinhoud D'Haese, Theo Wolvecamp. And from the 1950s: Enrico Baj, Jean Dubuffet, Pinot Gallizio, Wifredo Lam, Matta, Henri Michaux, Walasse Ting, Pierre Wemaëre and Group SPUR, among others.

External links

• Official website, Museum Jorn, Silkeborg (former name: Silkeborg Kunstmuseum - Asger Jorns samlinger) (English)/(Danish)