Kunsthal Charlottenborg
Address 2 Nyhavn is the location of a huge brick palace: Kunsthal Charlottenborg. This lovely building is one of the largest museums for contemporary art in Europe and was the previous location of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. It hosts varied art exhibitions by both Danish and international artists. Entrance is free on Wednesday evenings after 5 pm. A tip is to buy an ‘Art & Water’ ticket which lets you visit the museum and take a tour on the canal.
The garden of the Louisiana Museum
Louise, Louise and Louise
Lovers of 20th-century art will feel their hearts beating faster in the stunningly situated Louisiana Museum, just north of Copenhagen. Art, nature and architecture merge in perfect harmony on the shores of the Sound, the strait between Denmark and Sweden. The wide, light halls do justice to the world-famous paintings of Picasso and Francis Bacon as well as sculptures by Alberto Giacometti. The Louisiana owes its name to the original owner of the property, whose three wives were all named Louise.
Ark for contemporary art
At the age of 25, Søren Robert Lund won the award to design the striking ARKEN Museum of Modern Art which opened in 1996. The concrete colossus is located practically in the sea, some 15 kilometres south of Copenhagen. It pays homage to the ocean with its ship-like design. The impressive permanent collection comprises around 300 pieces by artists such as Damien Hirst, Wolfgang Tillmans and Olafur Eliasson. Especially worth a look is Din blinde passager bv Olafur Eliasson, a 90-metre tunnel which surrounds visitors in thick mist. The museum café provides spectacular views over the Bay of Køge.