Hidden art gems in Copenhagen

Art & Sculpture Hidden Gems

Explore Copenhagen's alternative art scene through its unconventional galleries and public installations. This collection features the subterranean reservoirs of Cisternerne, now transformed into a dark, atmospheric exhibition space, and the underwater bronze figures of Agnete and the Merman in Slotsholm Canal. Discover Bjørn Nørgaard’s provocative sculptures near the waterfront, contemporary works housed in former churches, and neoclassical treasures at the Thorvaldsen Museum. These sites offer a focused look into the city's creative landscape away from the primary tourist circuit.

seier+seier / CC BY 2.0

Thorvaldsen Museum

The Thorvaldsen Museum is a single-artist museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, dedicated to the art of Danish and Icelandic Neoclassical sculptor…

Simon / CC BY 2.0

Nikolaj Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center

Nikolaj Kunsthal is an contemporary arts center in Copenhagen which occupies the former St. Nicholas Church.

Cisternerne

Subterranean contemporary art venue located in former underground water reservoirs beneath Søndermarken park. The atmospheric space features site-specific installations within damp, vaulted chambers characterized by concrete pillars and natural stalactites.

Nettadi / CC BY-SA 4.0

Agnete and the Merman

Agnete and the Merman is a group of bronze sculptures in Copenhagen, Denmark, located underwater in the Slotsholm Canal next to the Højbro…

Mahlum / Public domain

Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art

Den Frie Udstilling is a Danish artists' association, founded in 1891 by artists in protest against the admission requirements for the…

Pieceofmetalwork / CC BY-SA 4.0

Det Genmodificerede Paradis

A provocative sculpture group by Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard, originally created for the Expo 2000 Danish pavilion. The installation features a surrealist, "genetically modified" version of the Little Mermaid and other distorted figures.

Pedro Cambra / CC BY 2.0

Trold, der vejrer kristenblod

Trold, der vejrer kristenblod is a bronze sculpture made by Niels Hansen Jacobsen.

BKP / CC BY-SA 3.0

The Thinker

One of the original bronze casts of Auguste Rodin's iconic sculpture. It is situated in the garden of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, part of the museum founder Carl Jacobsen's extensive collection of 19th-century French art.

Hans Andersen / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Ryvangen Memorial Park

Ryvangen Memorial Park is a memorial park in Ryvangen officially inaugurated on 5 May 1950 to commemorate fallen members of the Danish…

Gefion Fountain

Large monumental fountain and wishing well depicting a Norse goddess and her sons transformed into oxen. It illustrates the mythical creation of the island of Zealand through the act of plowing land from Sweden.