Poor Art – Rich Legacy. Arte Povera and parallel practices 1968–2015

This thematic exhibition of works from the collection concentrates on the arte povera movement, which is central to the museum’s collecting policy. This makes it a highly appropriate subject for this exhibition, twenty-five years after the Museum of Contemporary Art first opened its doors. The museum’s collection started out with 2,500 works from the period after 1945 that were transferred from the National Gallery and Riksgalleriet (Norway’s touring art gallery). It now contains more than 5,000 items by Norwegian and international artists.

This is the last time these treasures will be displayed in the venerable, former Norwegian Bank building, prior to our move to the new National Museum at Vestbanen. In addition to the many arte povera works, the exhibition includes examples of related contemporary practices such as conceptual art, land art and post-minimalism. It also features recent works that illustrate how the art debates of the 1960s have influenced younger generations of artists.

Viewers will have the opportunity to become reacquainted with Gilberto Zorio’s installation Untitled (Canoe), a curious amalgamation of energy, alchemy, bubbly chemistry and insistent sound, as well as Michelangelo Pistoletto’s notorious installation Image and Body, consisting of old museum furniture that has been turned upside down. The audience will also be able to experience Mario Merz’ beautiful igloo, a large glass and neon installation with fragrant twigs.