The world’s largest collection of Nordic modernist art
The Tangen Collection consists of over 5,000 works and it is said to be the largest and most important collection of Nordic modernist art from the period 1910-1990.
The collection’smain focus on Nordic modernism makes it exceptional within a global context and it includes paintings, graphics, sculptures, textile works, ceramics, handicrafts, photography and conceptual art. Unique to the collection is that it goes in depth into the oeuvre of great, well-known artists such as Reidar Aulie, Asger Jorn, Lars-Gunnar Nordström and Anna-Eva Bergman. In addition, important work has been done to collect works from artists who have been passed over by history. A part of the implementation of the strategy behind the collection has been to select a body of works based on Nicolai Tangen’s personal preferences and interests as well aswhat he personally wants to explore in depth.
The wide range of art in the collection provides almost limitless possibilities for creating a rich program of changing exhibitions related to different themes and artistic works.
Explore the collection
About Nicolai Tangen, art collector
The man behind the collection is Nicolai Tangen, a Kristiansand-born patron of the arts, investment manager and present CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management.
Tangen begynte for alvor å samle kunst på 1990-tallet, og fullførte senere en mastergrad i kunsthistorie om Rolf Nesch på Courtauld Institute of History of Art. I begynnelsen fokuserte han mest på konstruktiv, abstrakt kunst, og etter hvert har samlingen blitt utvidet med verk fra surrealismen og ekspresjonismen.
Tangen-samlingen er under kontinuerlig utvikling og fortsetter å vokse med mål om å samle de beste nordiske verkene fra perioden 1930-1980. Tangen-samlingen eies av AKO Kunststiftelse som har gitt Kunstsilo evig rett til å disponere samlingen. Dette betyr at museet skal ivareta og forvalte kunsten, men også tilgjengeliggjøre den for publikum.
The man behind the collection is Nicolai Tangen, a Kristiansand-born patron of the arts, investment manager and present CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management. He began collecting art seriously in the 1990s before completing an MA in Art History on Rolf Nesch at the Courtauld Institute of Art. At first, he focused primarily on constructive, abstract art. Gradually, the collection was expanded through the inclusion of surrealist and expressionist works. The Tangen Collection is under continuousdevelopment, and it continues to grow with the aim of collecting the best Nordic works from the period 1930-1980.
The Tangen Collection is owned by the AKO Art Foundation, which has given Kunstsilo the perpetual right of disposal for the collection. This means that the museum shall look after and administer the works of art as well as make them accessible to the public.