Obel Family Foundation and the Gallery
In 2010 the Obel Family Foundation made a generous donation in support of the extensive rehang of the Gallery’s collections, which stand among Denmark’s pre-eminent collections of art.
The Collections are the Gallery’s heart
We believe that the Gallery’s pre-eminent task is to preserve art and to communicate knowledge and information pertaining to its artworks. The Gallery is the setting of many different activities, serving as a place to meet, as a framework for social activities and cultural pursuits. The collections themselves serve as the starting point of all these experiences. Here, visitors see the tangible outcomes of the Gallery’s work on research, information, education, communication and conservation.
A new take on our Collections
The Gallery has long wished to stage a complete rehang of the entire collection, and thanks to the generosity of the Obel Family Foundation and others we have now begun carrying out those ambitious plants. Visitors can expect to see the collections re-interpreted to reflect contemporary takes on art history and to find the Gallery’s education and information activities updated with new analogue and digital offerings. Very importantly, new visitors’ facilities will contribute to an excellent overall museum experience.
Three main areas
Approximately 6,700m² of exhibition space will be renovated, and the complete rehanging will feature approximately 1,500 exhibits on display. The scope of the task and the resources required correspond to arranging several large-scale special exhibitions. The collections are divided into three main areas: Older European art, older Danish art, and modern post-1900 art. After the rehang these three areas will constitute independent sections with largely independent profiles. Like three museums in one, each of them making full use of its own particular collections and their specific nature and potential.
Three museums in one
The new presentation of the museum’s collections will be revealed in three stages. May of 2011 will see the opening of the section on older Danish art featuring art from 1750-1900. In the autumn of 2011 the section on European art from 1400-1800 will follow. Finally, the section on modern art will open its doors in the spring of 2012.
