The Førde collection offers regional and national visual art and handicraft from the 20th century onwards, as well as some international pieces. Most works are from the 1970s onwards, and feature a balanced number of male and female artists, which is pretty rare for Norwegian art museums! The artworks have been bought, gifted or loaned to the museum. You will find works by both famous and less well-known artists. Through these artworks, you catch glimpses of what the artists have seen, imagined, created and sought to convey. They tell stories about being human, about nature experiences, about political issues, as well as mere playful experimentation with forms and colours. Art isn’t mass produced, but created from the hands and minds of artists seeking to evoke thoughts, feelings and insight. What you discover here might resonate with your own life and lead you to make your own stories.
The museum is also a work of art in and of itself. The new 2012 building is inspired by the many glaciers found in the county, occupying the city centre as if it were a giant block of ice. The exterior is covered by white glass surfaces, featuring irregular cracks. At night, these icy shards allow the building to shine and twinkle.
When you enter the heart of the museum and climb the deep turquoise stairway, it’s like moving through a large sculpture. Once you reach the top, you can venture onto our roof terrace and enjoy our panoramic view of the surrounding mountains.
Our reception has an ample gift shop with art and handicraft made by artists from the region. Kafé Sobra offers hot and cold dishes from our in-house kitchen.