Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum’s collection belongs to everyone. But who is we? And what works of art make up the collection, who are the artists represented, what stories do they tell?

Today the collection numbers 2,255 works – 28% of these made by women artists. The historical part of the collection has an even larger gap, with only 77 works made by female artists, compared to 630 works by male artists from the same period.

In each room in the exhibition you will see the reddish-orange color, from the UN’s SDG color wheel (gender equality) that indicates 28% of the display space. In here the 28% percent is filled with 74 of the 77 works by women artists from the historical part of the collection – craft, design, drawing and painting. The remainder of each room, the 72% – a space typically occupied by male artists (630 works) – is left open. During the exhibition period we will activate the openness as a space for community engagement and plurality of voices, connectivity and critical dialogue.

The artists represented in 28% include:  

Betzy Akersloot-Berg (1850–1922) 

Frida Hansen (1855–1931) 

Georga Elisa (Leis) Schjelderup (1856–1933) 

Signe Scheel (1860–1942) 

Borghild Røed Lærum (1877–1959) 

Sara Fabricius (Cora Sandel) (1880–1974) 

Hanna Visund (1881–1974) 

Ragnhild Keyser (1889–1943) 

Ragnhild Kaarbø (1889–1949) 

Hélène Perdriat (1889–1969) 

Nora Gulbrandsen (1894–1978) 

Joronn Sitje (1897–1982) 

Gunvor Bull-Teilman (1900–1996) 

Doro Dorothea Henriette Ording (1901–1993) 

Else Christie Kielland (1903–1993) 

Hetty Gleditsch (1906–1992) 

Hanna Christie Abrahamsen (1907–1994) 

Karen Holtsmark (1907–1998) 

Synnøve Anker Aurdal (1908–2000) 

Solveig Wiik (1908–2001) 

Anna-Eva Bergman (1909–1987)  

Benny Motzfeldt (1909–1995) 

Gerd Ragna “Teddy” Røwde (1911–1994) 

Charlotte Block Hellum (1911–2005) 

Gunnvor Henriette Advocaat (1912–1997)