Art Museums/Galleries in Copenhagen
When it comes to art, Copenhagen is often overlooked in favor of more colorful cities like Paris and Barcelona; this is a shame, as the Danish capital can boast a good number of world-class art museums and vibrant contemporary galleries.
The 'big three' art galleries in and around Copenhagen are the National Gallery Statens Museum for Kunst, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk north of Copenhagen and Arken, named after its rounded, ship-like shape, near Ishøj on Copenhagen's southern coast. Of these, Arken has slipped a little on our list: Its architecture may be novel but the lighting and strong shadows do not always make for ideal viewing conditions.
In addition to its collection of antiquities, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek has a fantastic collection of French impressionist art as well as changing exhibits and is quite simply a beautiful building to visit. The Hirschsprung Samling may not be housed in such a grand setting-rather a large villa in Østerbro-but its collection of paintings from Danish Golden Age of 1800-1850, is one of the most complete there is.
Some of the most cutting-edge contemporary art can often be found as part of group exhibits: Copenhagen has a good number of smaller art museums that each holds a changing program of three to four changing group shows and retrospectives a year. Of these, Kunstforeningen Gammel Strand has one of the best locations, housed in an elegant old building and overlooking both canals and Christansborg. Nearby in an atmospheric former church just off Strøget, the shows at Kunsthallen Nikolaj tend to be conceptual and multimedia in nature.
The 'big three' art galleries in and around Copenhagen are the National Gallery Statens Museum for Kunst, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk north of Copenhagen and Arken, named after its rounded, ship-like shape, near Ishøj on Copenhagen's southern coast. Of these, Arken has slipped a little on our list: Its architecture may be novel but the lighting and strong shadows do not always make for ideal viewing conditions.
In addition to its collection of antiquities, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek has a fantastic collection of French impressionist art as well as changing exhibits and is quite simply a beautiful building to visit. The Hirschsprung Samling may not be housed in such a grand setting-rather a large villa in Østerbro-but its collection of paintings from Danish Golden Age of 1800-1850, is one of the most complete there is.
Some of the most cutting-edge contemporary art can often be found as part of group exhibits: Copenhagen has a good number of smaller art museums that each holds a changing program of three to four changing group shows and retrospectives a year. Of these, Kunstforeningen Gammel Strand has one of the best locations, housed in an elegant old building and overlooking both canals and Christansborg. Nearby in an atmospheric former church just off Strøget, the shows at Kunsthallen Nikolaj tend to be conceptual and multimedia in nature.
Malerisamlingen Ordrupgård
Vilvordevej 110
Charlottenlund
Art exhibits and architecture amidst a country park...
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