Nordic Modernism on a Global Stage: Kunstsilo Presents the First International Retrospective of Pedersen and Alfelt

On Thursday, April 10, Kunstsilo opens its doors to a groundbreaking exhibition with Nordic art at its core: Cosmic Dimensions – the first international retrospective dedicated to the Danish artist couple Carl-Henning Pedersen and Else Alfelt.

About the Exhibition
With key works from the Tangen Collection and 140 paintings on loan from the Carl-Henning Pedersen & Else Alfelt Museum in Herning, Cosmic Dimensionsoffers visitors a unique opportunity to experience the spontaneous, mythological, and expressive visual language that defines Nordic modernism. This is the first time Pedersen and Alfelt’s artistic legacies are brought to light on an international scale. Kunstsilo is the first stop for the exhibition, which will later travel to Kunsthalle St. Annen in Lübeck.

Else Alfelt and Carl-Henning Pedersen met at the International Folk High School in Helsingør in 1933 – a meeting that marked the beginning of a lifelong artistic and personal partnership. The couple became central figures in the Danish avant-garde and the CoBrA movement (1948–1951), with an artistic vision rooted in folklore, freedom, and spiritual exploration.

Through a comprehensive collection of paintings, Cosmic Dimensions invites audiences on a journey through the couple’s artistic evolution – from their early experimental works to monumental compositions inspired by travels across Asia, Africa, and Europe.

A Unique Opportunity
“The legacy of Carl-Henning Pedersen and Else Alfelt reminds us of essential humanist values – freedom, spontaneity, respect for other cultures, and care for nature,” says Karl Olav Segrov Mortensen, curator and Head of Programming at Kunstsilo. He continues:
“Their art also serves as a brilliant example of how modernism manifested in a Nordic context. Visitors will have a rare opportunity to experience major works from the Tangen Collection that reflect a distinctive period in art history – one marked by war, unrest, and renewal.”

A Leading Platform for Nordic Modernism
With approximately 6,500 works, the Tangen Collection is the world’s largest collection of Nordic modernist art. Spanning from 1910 to 1990, it offers a rich and in-depth look into Nordic art history.

“With the Tangen Collection as our foundation, Kunstsilo aims to be a leading arena for Nordic modernism. Cosmic Dimensions is a fantastic opportunity to highlight an important part of this history. The fact that we can present Alfelt and Pedersen’s work in an international format here in Kristiansand reflects Kunstsilo’s ambition to serve as a bridge between the Nordic and the global art scenes,” says Kunstsilo’s director Maria Mediaas Jørstad.

Cosmic Dimensions is produced in collaboration with Chairman Finn Poulsen and co-curator Lotte Korshøj of the Carl-Henning Pedersen Foundation, the Carl-Henning Pedersen & Else Alfelt Museum, curator and former director of ARKEN Museum of Modern Art Christian Gether, and the Institute for Cultural Exchange in Tübingen, Germany.

The exhibition will be on view at Kunstsilo from April 10 to August 31, 2025.