Introduction

This blog is about the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humblebaek, Denmark (about an hour away from Copenhagen). I visited it this summer and was impressed by the collection, as well as the architecture of the place. This blog will give you an idea about the museum, as well as the history and its unique architecture which shows an interaction between the indoors and outdoors of the museum.

History

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art was founded by Knud W. Jensen (1916-2000) who had a great passion for art and culture; he believed that it was essential for the general public to develop an interest in those areas as well as giving them access to it. Therefore, he opened the museum in 1958 and it has been a work in progress for 40 years.

Before the Louisiana was founded Mr Jensen had bought a majority of Gyldendal which is Denmark’s biggest publishing house and was also responsible for publicising the most important Danish and international modern literature. Mr Jensen was a businessman by training, he knew the way to promote the museum to get people interested.

The museum is named Louisiana because the previous owner of the original villa, was married three times and all his wives were called Louise. The Louisiana is part of only a handful of museums that have managed a well-tempered interplay between architecture and nature.

Architecture

The key to the museum was the architecture, it was designed according to the concept that a good framework can advance the better things in life. Mr Jensen chose two Danish architects Vilhelm Wohlert & Jorgen Bo, who were inspired by the German Bauhaus and Californian Bay Area Architecture. Jensen was seen as the third architect. The idea was that the museum should be on a human scale (not like a cathedral) and wind around the old trees occupying what would become the museum’s park.

What was important as well was an eye for detail, a clear choice of material and many windows to ensure the changing lights in the museum. Relaxing spaces and paths winding only through the landscape were also considered and integrated into the design of the museum’s park.

According to Jensen the inside shouldn’t be more relevant than the outside, as the view outside was equally as important, because the museum is located on a hill above the Northern Sea.

Louisiana’s architects succeeded in creating a space which captivates people, as the visitors can spend a whole day at the museum and still not see everything it has to offer. As the architecture is so powerful the art has to fight to have its say.

Louisiana Collection

The original collection had two origins of which only one is visible today. The founder, Mr. Jensen, was originally a collector of Danish modernism but became interested in international modern art when he visited the Documenta in Kassel in 1959. Through this change of direction, the vision for the Louisiana changed over the next years and was re-named as the Museum of Modern Art. Through donors and Danish foundations, the collection of Modern Art was possible, the primary focus being Post-War Art.

The major focus was on sculpture which was prompted by the possibilities of the museum’s park; however, painting was also at the core. Louisiana managed to build a collection of works by major artists and continues to make acquisitions with a special focus on contemporary art. There are almost no permanent exhibitions apart from three (Yayoi Kusama, Alberto Giacometti & Asger Jorn) and the sculptures in the park. Yayoi Kusama has a mirror room at the museum, for more information about her, read my https://arthotshot.com/yayoi-kusama-contemporary-eccentric-multi-talented-japanese-gem-part-i/ blog.
Through this it is possible to show the collection and surprising combinations of contemporary art.

One of the biggest parts of the collection is American Pop-Art, with an emphasis on Andy Warhol. However, there are also works by Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Jim Dine and Claes Oldenburg.

Picasso has played a major role in the exhibition history of the Louisiana. The first Picasso retrospective at the Louisiana was shown in 1968. Another big exhibition took place in 1981 where the museum was able to show 400 works prior to the Picasso Museum opening in Paris. From then on, the museum had temporary Picasso exhibitions in the years 1988/89, 1996 and 2011.

As already mentioned, the Louisiana Museum was founded to become a space to show Danish art, but this changed, and the museum turned towards an international direction. This was the case because Danish artists weren’t part of international movements. However in the 21^st Century other artists became part of the collection, for example, Olafur Eliasson as well as Elmgreen and Dragset. The main focal points of Danish Art at the museum are Asger Jorn and Per Kirkeby.

This museum is truly one of a kind, the architecture makes it even more unique as well as the whole space being connected through the arts. The huge installations by many artists in the park and the closeness to the Northern sea make the Louisiana a true experience in its own right. Should you ever be Denmark, I’d recommend visiting this place as it will leave you with great memories and an unforgettable experience.