– I know there have been many opinions about this project along the way, but now we have reached a point where we can be happy with the result, Lubna Jaffery said before she declared the silo open.
Reidar Fuglestad also expressed his excitement. Since 2017, he has led the construction project Kunstsilo, which has now become the largest cultural destination in Southern Norway. The road to the opening has been both exciting, long and challenging.
– This is a big day for all of us at Kunstsilo. We have finished. In Kunstsilo, we have learned that we must work together for what we believe in, stand in opposition and not lose faith and the goal along the way. Because in the end it may be that it succeeds. We are happy, proud and grateful for all the attention and support we have received internationally, nationally and regionally. A demanding construction project has been completed, ready for a new phase, Fuglestad said in his speech.
Art is important
– This is a big day, not just for Kristiansand and Norway, but for artists and people from all over the world. But first and foremost, this is one of the biggest cultural political events in Norway for a long time. It’s about imparting knowledge. And it is about great art experiences on many levels for many people. Art is important, said Stein Olav Henrichsen, chairman of Kunstsilo.
In his speech, art collector Nicolai Tangen thanked everyone who has been involved in making Kunstsilo a reality. Altogether, he has bequeathed 5,500 works to his hometown, the world‘s largest collection of Nordic modernist art, of which 600 are part of the opening exhibition Nordic Passions.
– Kunstsilo is full of art and it is a tribute to artists who use their lives to express what they have inside so that we can experience it. The three biggest Nordic characteristics are going for walks, grilling sausages and being skeptical of art, but this exhibition introduces us to even more. You don’t become an art lover overnight. First art-tolerates, then art-likes also art-lovers. That’s how it was with me, said Tangen.
Expect 10,000 visitors during the evening
When the free tickets for the inaugural event went on sale at the end of April, all 5,500 tickets disappeared instantly. Now Kunstsilo expects up to 10,000 visitors to this evening’s folk festival, which is planned on the silokaia outside the museum.
– There will be entertainment with cultural elements from the whole region every hour from 11 o’clock until midnight, which the whole population can participate in. Then we are lucky enough to get a performance from one of the country’s biggest artists. Matoma will round off the evening with a spectacular music and light show from the museum’s outdoor terrace, says Fuglestad.
The festivities began at 10:30 with a parade led by the Tveit Union Musikkorps through the city’s streets, followed by a salute from Lagmannsholmen by the Christiansand Artillerie Compagni. The doors then opened at 11:30 am.