“Eyes” by Louise Bourgeois
Two large spheres of black granite on a grassy mound in the sculpture park.
Tjuvholmen Sculpture Park
Tjuvholmen Sculpture Park surrounds Astrup Fearnley Museet, facing the fjord. See the works in 3D, from Louise Bourgeois's eyes to a white cake in bronze.
What you see in the model
The park lies on Skjæret, around the museum building and down towards the beach. In the model, several of the works are shown in simplified form: “Eyes” by Louise Bourgeois, “White Snow Cake” by Paul McCarthy, “Untitled” by Anish Kapoor in a glass case, “Spalt” by Franz West and a white snowball.
Zoom right in to see the works up close, with the sail roofs and the fjord in the background. The lawns and paths lead you from work to work, just as in the real park.
The works in the park
The sculpture park opened on 10 August 2012. It was designed by Renzo Piano, who also designed the museum, in consultation with the director of the Louisiana Museum in Denmark, known for the interplay between art and landscape.
When it opened, the park had seven works by international contemporary artists. More works have been added since, and today the park has eight. The works include:
- “Eyes” by Louise Bourgeois
- “Things for a House on an Island” by Peter Fischli and David Weiss
- “Edge II” by Antony Gormley
- “Untitled” by Anish Kapoor
- “Untitled (Totem)” by Ellsworth Kelly
- “Moonrise” by Ugo Rondinone
- “Spalt” by Franz West
- “White Snow Cake” by Paul McCarthy, in bronze, from 2011
Did you know?
- Almost all the sculptures are on loan from the Selvaag Art Collection. Since 1958, Selvaag has put up sculptures in its residential areas, more than 500 in all.
- The park was part of the “gift to the city of Oslo”, along with the museum, the beach and Tjuvtitten, when the developers bought Tjuvholmen.
- The sculptures face out towards the Oslofjord, with views of Akershus Castle and Fortress.
- Selvaag's founder, Olav Selvaag, wanted to bring sculpture out of the museums and into the places where people live.
- Two of the works, “Things for a House on an Island” and “Untitled (Totem)”, are owned by Tjuvholmen KS, the company that developed Tjuvholmen.
- In 2004, Selvaag also took the initiative for the Peer Gynt Park at Løren in Oslo.
Practical information
The sculpture park is free and open to everyone.
The park is outdoors, around Astrup Fearnley Museet at the far end of Tjuvholmen. The streets and squares on Tjuvholmen are designated for public use, and the beach next to the park is open to the public. The nearest tram stop is Aker brygge by Rådhusplassen. In summer, bring your swimming things.
What it looks like in real life
The artworks
Read more about each of the eight works in the park, and about the statue of Olav Selvaag on Olav Selvaags plass.
“Edge II” by Antony Gormley
A cast-iron human figure sticking out horizontally from a wall above the large staircase.
“Untitled” by Anish Kapoor
A block of white alabaster almost three metres tall, in a glass case by the museum.
“Untitled (Totem)” by Ellsworth Kelly
A bronze plate more than four metres tall and only 3.2 centimetres thick, on the grass by the fjord.
“MOONRISE. east. November.” by Ugo Rondinone
A large head in brown-enamelled aluminium, one of twelve in a series with one head for each month.
“Spalt” by Franz West
An anchor, a coiled rope and a lifebuoy in cheerful colours, on a timber platform by the fjord.
“Things for a House on an Island” by Fischli & Weiss
A small house at the far end of the sculpture park, with 105 carved and painted objects inside.
“White Snow Cake” by Paul McCarthy
A bronze sculpture almost 2.5 metres tall from 2011, with a title that plays on the fairy tale of Snow White.
The statue of Olav Selvaag
Bronze statue of the house builder Olav Selvaag in the square that bears his name, unveiled in 2012.
Facts
| Opened | 10 August 2012 |
| Designed by | Renzo Piano |
| Works at opening | 7 |
| Location | Skjæret, around Astrup Fearnley Museet |
Open this view in 3D
Open this view in 3D
Open this view in 3D
Nearby
Astrup Fearnley Museet
Renzo Piano's museum of modern art, under glass roofs shaped like sails, at the far end of Tjuvholmen.
Tjuvholmen Sea Bath
A saltwater bathing spot in the middle of Oslo, with a jetty, a diving board and a pebble beach. People swim here all year round.
Tjuvtitten
The slender glass-and-steel lookout tower on Albert Nordengens plass, lit in changing colours.
Sources: Wikipedia (Norwegian) – Tjuvholmen skulpturpark · Selvaag Art Collection – White Snow Cake · tjuvholmen.no – Tjuvholmen skulpturpark · Wikipedia (Norwegian) – Tjuvholmen · Astrup Fearnley Museet – Tjuvholmen skulpturpark