Herning Museum of Contemporary Art

Heart: Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, formerly known as Herning Kunstmuseum, is a museum of contemporary art located in Herning Municipality, Denmark. Founded in 1976, the institution originated in a former shirt factory and reopened in 2009 in a purpose-built facility designed by the American architect Steven Holl. The museum is situated within the Birk Centerpark on the site of a former textile factory. It holds particular significance for its deep connection to the industrial and textile history of Herning, housing a collection strongly focused on conceptual art and Arte Povera, with many works created by artists who worked directly in the local factories. The museum is operated by a private foundation.

The museum was established in 1976 and first opened its doors to the public in 1977 within Angligarden, an old shirt factory designed by architect C. F. Moller. The institution owes its origins to Aage Damgaard, a shirt manufacturer, art patron, and collector. During the 1950s and 1960s, Damgaard employed internationally significant artists, such as Paul Gadegaard, who decorated the factory, as well as Robert Jacobsen, Sven Dalsgaard, and Piero Manzoni, to work within his Angli factory. As the need for appropriate exhibition spaces grew, an architectural competition was held in 2005, which was won by Steven Holl. On 9 September 2009, the museum reopened in its new premises, acting as the successor and expansion of the original Herning Kunstmuseum collection.

The collection of the Herning Museum of Contemporary Art focuses primarily on conceptual art and Arte Povera. A significant portion of the holdings was developed in collaboration with artists who worked directly in Aage Damgaard's textile factories. The museum's holdings encompass both visual art and a large collection of sculptural works, including a dedicated sculpture park featuring large installations. The collection spans early factory commissions from the 1950s and 1960s as well as later acquisitions added when the new building opened in 2009.

The museum's collection includes works by artists connected to the factory's history, such as Paul Gadegaard, Victor Vasarely, Richard Mortensen, Asger Jorn, and Carl-Henning Pedersen. It also houses a prominent body of work by Piero Manzoni, most notably his 1961 work complex Socle du Monde (Base of the World), which was created in Herning and remains a central symbol of the collection. The sculptural holdings are notably anchored by large installations by Ingvar Cronhammar. Additional artists represented in the collection include Bjorn Norgaard, Poul Gernes, Joseph Beuys, Mario Merz, Knud Hvidberg, John Korner, and Troels Worsel.

The 2009 museum building designed by Steven Holl is situated on the grounds of a former textile factory in the Birk Centerpark. The design is deeply influenced by the site's industrial and textile history. Viewed from above, the sculptural roof landscape resembles a collection of shirt sleeves, inspired by the image of a shirt thrown over a box. The approximately 5,600 square meter building contains two single-story exhibition halls for permanent and temporary displays, a 150-seat auditorium, rehearsal rooms, a medial library, a cafe-restaurant, offices, and an outdoor stage. The white concrete exterior walls were cast in situ using used truck tarps inside the formwork, creating a fabric-like texture that resembles crumpled cloth, referencing both shirt production and the white canvases of Piero Manzoni. The inward-curving roof planes, supported by a steel truss system, evoke sagging fabric sails. Translucent profile glass with thermal insulation allows diffuse daylight into the interiors through large skylights and parts of the facade. The architecture extends into the landscape, where elongated green hills continue the rooflines, water basins reflect the building volume, and concrete paving stones laid in free patterns connect the structure to its surroundings.

The Herning Museum of Contemporary Art is located in Central Denmark. The museum is normally open to visitors every day except Mondays from 10 am to 5 pm, though it may occasionally close for special arrangements. It serves a dual role as both a museum of visual art and a concert hall. The institution is operated by a private foundation. Further information regarding access and programming is available on its official website.