Louisiana Museum - A Top Modern Art Destination in Scandinavia

Hello friends. Today I want to talk about one of Scandinavia’s most beautiful and most visited modern art museums. It brings together everything I love: architecture, art, a stunning natural view and even gastronomy. This museum is located in Denmark and is called Louisiana.

You have probably wondered like me what Louisiana means and what it is doing in Denmark. The story is this: The founder of the museum, Knud W. Jensen, bought it in 1955 as a mansion. It previously belonged to Alexander Brun, who was an officer and royal hunter. Interestingly Brun married three times and all three wives were named Louise. Because of this, the property was called Louisiana. Jensen kept the name and opened it to the public in 1958 as Denmark’s first modern art museum. His goal was to make modern art more accessible and to change the way Danes look at this art.

The museum started with the historic building of the mansion. Later, it expanded in seven different phases. Each new building was constructed in a modernist style reflecting the architectural ideas of its time. The architecture consists of pavilions connected by glass corridors. These pavilions are named after their directions: east, west, south and north wings. The buildings are elegantly integrated into the surrounding natural landscape. In fact, from some points, you can hardly tell how large the museum is. Each area is arranged like a garden.

In the garden, I saw sculptures by famous artists such as Joan Miró, Max Ernst, Henry Moore and Alexander Calder. Especially Calder’s moving sculptures are placed in front of the museum restaurant. Sitting outside watching the sea, the sculptures and Sweden on the opposite shore was very enjoyable.

There is also a small lake inside the museum. It is surrounded by trees that lean down to the water’s surface. Thanks to the uneven terrain, the volume of the buildings can be hidden, which adds a unique texture to the place.

From an architectural point of view, all the features of northern modernism are here: large glass surfaces, light or dark wood, iconic Scandinavian design lamps. The historic building contains details from older times such as round ceramic stoves, wooden wall panels and classic radiators. There are also northern details like brick, clinker flooring and wooden beams. I noticed the use of brass in metal details and mostly copper in lighting fixtures.

In the North Wing, we saw works by Alberto Giacometti. Giacometti personally came here and participated in arranging the exhibition space. In the West Wing, there were large and impressive photographic works by Robert Longo. They were very striking.

Back to the garden, it is incredibly diverse. There are flat areas, a lake and even a stream bed. Giant steel sculptures by Richard Serra have been placed in this stream bed. I had seen Serra’s works before in other museums.

In the South Wing, there was currently a huge exhibition by American artist Kara Walker. Honestly, I was not very familiar with her but I had come across some of her work before. The exhibition is called Doll House. It has a very intense and emotional expression. At times it can be anatomical, disturbing and even disgusting but it definitely does not leave the viewer indifferent. Yayoi Kusama’s installation called Lights of Spirits was also here. This work by the Japanese artist Kusama is displayed permanently. With its play of lights it evokes night cities like Tokyo or New York. It is part of the museum’s permanent collection.

This place is very beautiful in summer because nature bursts with life: thousands of shades of green, the rustling of leaves, the blue tones of the sea. All this creates a positive mood. But in winter, it takes on another beauty. White and gray tones dominate. This quiet view combined with the architecture offers a completely different experience.

The part that interested me the most architecturally was a small glass pavilion added to the South Wing. It feels spacious and summery. Its vaulted roof stands out among the modernist buildings.

By the way, the architects of the museum are Jørgen Bo and Vilhelm Wohlert. They are both important modernist architects in Denmark.

I hope getting to know Louisiana was enjoyable for you too. This wonderful museum is located on the coast of the Øresund Strait and is only 40 minutes from Copenhagen Central Station. If you come to Denmark’s capital and have time after touring the city, I definitely recommend visiting here. I also have another day trip suggestion. Last year I visited Ordrupgaard. It is also a historic villa combined with modern architecture. It even includes a design by Zaha Hadid. And of course the home of modernist designer Finn Juhl is here. I think it is a must-see.

That is all I have to share about Louisiana for today. Thank you for reading.