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Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art
(Postboks 1158 Sentrum)About
This is one of those special nuggets art lovers stumble across in their travels, wondering why such a place isn't better known. Actually, this privately funded museum has been around since 1993, when Norway's leading architects and designers constructed the stunningly designed building to showcase both Norwegian and international post-World War II art. Works by '60s icon Yoko Ono can be seen here. The equally controversial British artist, a blood-and-guts type of guy, Damien Hirst, is also on view with his installation of Mother and Child Divided. The changing exhibitions are often drawn from the museum's permanent collection, much of which is kept in storage. On our last visit, we feasted on another British blood-and-gore type, Francis Bacon, along with the gentler Lucian Freud and Gerhard Richter. Introduce yourself to some locally known Norwegian artists of great stature, especially Knut Rose, Bjørn Carlsen, and Arne Ekeland, our favorites. If you prefer your sculptures oversize, wander through the garden, with such works as Niki de St. Phalle's sparrow. Allow at least 40 minutes.
