The Art of Collecting

Moderna Museet has one of Europe’s foremost collections of international modern and contemporary art. Over the past five years, over 2,000 artworks have been added to the collection. Around 40 of them – paintings, installations, video works and sculptures – are presented in “The Art of Collecting – Expanding the Moderna Museet Collection”.

The exhibition also raises questions about different ways of collecting art. Who decides what is purchased and why? Which artists, movements and stories are highlighted?

Growing in new directions

The artworks and oeuvres in “The Art of Collecting” show how the Moderna Museet Collection is growing in new directions with more voices and different perspectives. Among them are Outi Pieskis’ textile installation “Beavvit II” (2021), which evokes the changes in the sky and is inspired by duodji – the Sámi aesthetic practice that has both a functional and a spiritual dimension, and Hans Haacke’s “The Road to Profit Is Paved with Culture” (1976), a montage that critically examines cultural sponsorship as a strategy for strengthening brands.

The exhibition also features Anna Odell’s acclaimed video installation “Unknown, Woman 2009–34970”, which depicts forced psychiatric care in Sweden through a staging. In addition, artists such as Peter Geschwind, Deana Lawson, Jockum Nordström, Rose B. Simpson and Iiu Susiraja will participate.