Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Contemporary art museum in Tjuvholmen, Norway
Astrup Fearnley Museum is a contemporary art museum in Oslo housed in two connected buildings designed by architect Renzo Piano. The structures combine glass and wood elements and sit directly on the waterfront at Tjuvholmen, creating an open connection between the indoor galleries and the harbour outside.
The museum was established in 1993 through the support of the Thomas Fearnley Foundation alongside the Heddy and Nils Astrup foundations, built on wealth generated by Norwegian shipping families. The current buildings were constructed later as the institution expanded and required dedicated, larger spaces for its growing collection.
The collection explores how artists reference and reuse imagery from other art and popular culture, particularly through American works from the 1980s. You encounter pieces that deliberately borrow and transform existing visual material, making you think about what it means to create something original.
The museum is typically open Tuesday through Sunday, with extended hours on Thursday evenings. Children and teenagers under 20 enter at no cost, making it a free visit for young people, and the waterfront location is easy to reach on foot from the surrounding area.
The museum is known for owning a gilded porcelain sculpture of a famous pop star with a chimpanzee, acquired in the early 2000s. This work captures visitors' attention because of its unusual blend of celebrity culture and classical sculptural technique.
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