ART·HAND·WORK

What is craft? How do craftspeople work in Norway today?

This exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to explore the field of Norwegian craft through a rich selection of works from the museum’s collections. More than 100 artists are represented, in a wide range of materials, formats and forms of expression. The exhibition explores contemporary craft and challenges us to see things – and the world around us – in constantly new ways.

In today’s art world, the distinction between art forms can be perceived as irrelevant. Visual artists weave, industrial designers carve and craftspeople create video pieces and installations.

Artists’ freedom to move between disciplines and genres has led to a trend where an increasing number of art forms are simply labelled contemporary art, and the unique understanding of the craft is forgotten.

The exhibition ART-HAND-WORK explores contemporary crafts through the themes of materiality, craft traditions, everyday life, decoration, reuse and post-industrialism. Visitors will experience different voices and perspectives through audio stories, texts, activity zones and videos that showcase work processes.

Anniversary collaboration

In 2025, the Norwegian Association for Craft Artists (Norske Kunsthåndverkere) celebrates its 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Kode, the National Museum and the National Museum of Decorative Arts and Design have joined forces to create an exhibition that presents crafts as a current and important art form. The exhibition is mainly based on the three museums’ collections, with an emphasis on works from the last 25 years.

The exhibition will first be shown in Oslo, before travelling on to Bergen and then Trondheim.