Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg

Kunsten was designed by Alvar and Elissa Aalto with Jean-Jacques Baruel and opened in 1972, and the building is at least half the reason to go: white marble outside, and inside a set of galleries lit from above through angled roof lights, so the art sits in even daylight without lamps. The collection runs through Danish and international modern art from the early twentieth century onwards, with the post-war Cobra painters well represented, and temporary exhibitions carry a large part of the programme. A sculpture park and a small amphitheatre lie on the wooded slope outside, free to walk at any time.

History

The design was chosen in a Nordic architectural competition that received 144 entries by 15 January 1958 and was won by the Finnish architects Alvar and Elissa Aalto with their associate Jean-Jacques Baruël. Financial problems delayed construction until the late 1960s, and the museum was inaugurated on 8 June 1972. Known until 2008 as the North Jutland Art Museum in Aalborg, it then took the name Kunsten, and it shows 20th-century Danish and international art (Wikipedia, KUNSTEN Museum of Modern Art Aalborg).

What to look for

• The Aalto building - white marble and daylight galleries from 1972.
• The Cobra paintings - the northern European group of the late 1940s, strongly held here.
• The sculpture park - works set out on the wooded slope outside.
• The amphitheatre - the open air theatre cut into the hillside behind.

When to go

Year-round and indoors. The daylight galleries are at their best on a bright day, which changes the building noticeably. Weekday afternoons are quiet. Check what is on before committing, since a large part of the space is given to temporary shows and the permanent hang is not always up.

What to expect

The permanent collection is modest for a museum of this reputation, and much depends on the current exhibition. It is uphill from the centre and the walk is dull. Entry is not cheap, and two hours is generous for most visitors. Aalborg draws far fewer visitors than Aarhus, which is either a plus or a warning.

Nearby

The Aalborg tower and the woods are alongside; the Lindholm Hoje burial ground is across the fjord.

Key facts