This seminar explores the full material provenance of Kunstnernes hus through thorough investigations of the building materials, technical infrastructure, lighting, maintenance systems, exhibitions, and the thousands of artworks that have been on display throughout its 95-year history.

Archives and on-site surveys of the building will form the basis for the studies, where students will excavate the sourcing, ownership history, production history, economy, usage, and alteration records of the components, materials and artworks.

By constructing an alternative history of the building, this seminar challenges the way we understand and value-assess buildings and might change the way we transform them for the future. Additionally, this seminar aims to provide scenarios for the future development of Kunstnernes hus.

In 1928 a competition was launched. Out of 62 entries, Blakstad & Munthe-Kaas won with their proposal titled “Felix”. The architectural competition was showcased to the public in the form of an exhibition and was widely circulated in the media.

Kunstnernes hus was completed in 1930 as an artist-led foundation to show contemporary Norwegian and international art. Incredibly rich in its detailing and exquisite in its use of natural light, Kunstnernes hus is still viewed as one of the best exhibition spaces in all of Norway.

In Byggekunst vol. 12 1930, Blakstad and Munthe-Kaas state, “The building’s load-bearing concrete skeleton is externally clad with 23cm hand-formed bricks. Since these do not have any bearing function, we have expressed this in the patterning. The brick is internally lined with 7cm of aerated concrete that is flush with the inside of the skeleton.” They continue onward writing, “The floor is covered with black marbleized rubber flooring on a parquet base. The walls are clad with light gray linen fabric from the floor to a height of 4 meters, above which they are finished with fine plaster.” This text brings up many questions – questions we will explore in this seminar. Where was the brick from? Who laid the brick? The aerated concrete? The rubber flooring? Which of these were bespoke? Which were industrial products? Through focusing on the constituent parts of this building with detective-like eyes, we will understand the provenance of this kunsthalle in order to form a new way of writing the history of this beloved icon.

The seminar is part of the research project Provenance Projected. Architecture Past and Future in the Era of Circularity led by Mari Lending and Erik Langdalen and is the second in a series looking at the provenance of architecture through the lens of a building for art. In the fall of 2024, Re-Store: Høvikodden explored Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, resulting in an exhibition bringing forward the archive alongside key findings from the semester.