About the event
We are delighted to welcome the junior group of Nasjonalt Klavertiltak (National Piano Initiative), presented by the Prof. Jiri Hlinka Piano Academy, for an afternoon piano concert at Rasmussen Samlingene.
The young pianists have spent the weekend in Bergen taking masterclasses with Marina Pliassova, Julie Yuqing Ye, and Torleif Torgersen. Now you have the opportunity to experience the results, a remarkable showcase of young, talented pianists performing on the grand piano in our Pentagon hall.
The programme will be announced on the day of the concert.
Performers
Maximilian Beck · Leonardo Remmereit · Kaja Kong Halvorsen · Hanna-Louise Holm · Emil Alexander Ren Johansson · Yekaterina Krasilnikova · Anna Kamata Sydnes
About the Academy
Klaverakademiet
Klaverakademiet brings together talented pianists and young performers at the beginning of their professional journeys. Three masterclasses are held here each year, including one during the Bergen International Festival. Students travel from across Norway and abroad to study, rehearse and perform.
Concerts produced in partnership with organisations in the region form part of the academy’s teaching, and the programme is recognised both within Norway and internationally. The academy was founded by Professor Jiri Hlinka and is now led artistically and educationally by his former students Leif Ove Andsnes, Geir Botnen, Havard Gimse and Christian Ihle Hadland.
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Sunday, 26 April 2026 • 14:00
Saturday, 31 January 2026 • 14:00–17:00 About the event
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Known as the "People’s Sculptor," Per Ung spent a lifetime translating the Norwegian spirit into tangible, breathing forms.
In our dedicated sculpture hall, his legacy finds a permanent home. A space where history and artistry meet to tell a story of human vulnerability and strength.
Stepping into this hall at Rasmussen Samlingene is more than a gallery visit; it is an immersion into the life’s work of a man who shaped the very visual identity of modern Norway. This dedicated space serves as our homage to Per Ung (1933–2013), an artist who shaped the visual identity of modern Norway. While our collection features global icons, this hall is the heart of our local heritage, celebrating a master who refused to let the classical human form fade into the background of the 20th century. Ultimately, his work serves as a powerful reminder of the “shelter for human consciousness,” shifting the focus away from outward appearances to the deep, internal lives of his subjects.
A Life Dedicated to the Norwegian Spirit
Per Ung’s life was dedicated to the Norwegian spirit, and his contribution to the nation is felt most powerfully in the streets of our cities where his public monuments stand.
As the “People’s Sculptor,” he possessed a rare gift for capturing national icons, from the theatrical grace of Johanne Dybwad to the athletic energy of Sonja Henie, securing his place at the heart of Norway’s public consciousness.
By studying under both the traditionalist Per Palle Storm and the modernist Anthony Caro, Ung effectively bridged the gap between old-world mastery and a fresh, modern sensibility. This immense cultural impact was formally recognised in 2007 when he was appointed Knight 1st Class of the Order of St. Olav.
The Power of the Material: Bronze and Bone
The hall highlights Per Ung’s absolute mastery of bronze, a medium he utilised to give physical weight to the intangible. Each sculpture in the space is carefully curated to showcase his ability to fill a room with movement and emotion. These forms seem alive on their plinths as they appear to breathe, struggle, and reflect.
A Hall for Reflection
By dedicating this hall to Per Ung, Rasmussen Samlingene ensures that his contribution to Norwegian art remains in living dialogue. It is an active space where Ung’s sculptures continue to fulfill their original purpose: to connect us with our shared humanity. Visitors are invited to experience the depth and energy of his artistry first-hand. The hall’s design allows for intimate encounters with each piece, encouraging visitors to circle the works, to observe how light transforms bronze throughout the day, and to discover new details with each viewing. It is a place for sharing and networking, easily adapted to the ambient atmosphere of quiet reflection or meaningful discussion.
We invite you to stand amongst these bronze masterpieces and let them speak to you, as they have to generations of Norwegians before. You’ll discover why the “People’s Sculptor” earned his title, and why his voice continues to resonate so powerfully in the story of Norwegian art. This hall stands as our commitment to preserving sculptures, and the enduring conversation between artist, subject, and viewer that Per Ung so masterfully orchestrated.
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About the event
The season opening is scheduled for Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 14:00 to 17:00. This is a standard season opening open to all members of the public, with an entry fee of 80 NOK.
The opening features a selection of paintings and prints by Kjell Nupen, with an opportunity for guests to purchase specific graphic works. Alongside this is a new exhibition by Audun Hetland, which explores erotic themes through his signature satirical lens.
Dates/schedule:
Tickets:
About the Artists
Audun Hetland (1920–1998): A master of the sharp line and satirical humour. His erotic works are an artistic exploration of desire and the human body, balancing playfulness and provocation and offering a thoughtful and expressive perspective on human intimacy.
Kjell Nupen (1955–2014): One of Norway’s most significant contemporary artists. His work is celebrated for its poetic depth, evolving from the social criticism of the 1970s into a meditative, colour-rich visual language that has become a defining influence in Norwegian art history.
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Imagine a young artist, barely a teenager, stepping into the hallowed halls of the Oslo National Academy of Fine Arts – the youngest student ever admitted.
This was Inger Sitter, born in Trondheim in 1929, a prodigious talent whose early years hinted at a remarkable journey. But who could have predicted that this young woman, grounded in classical training, would become the powerful force to shatter Norway’s artistic conventions and lead it into the realm of abstraction?
Sitter’s early education spanned continents, from the structured lessons in Antwerp, Belgium, where she spent part of her childhood, to the Parisian studio of André Lhote. She honed her skills, mastering the techniques of figurative representation. Yet, a restless spirit simmered beneath the surface, yearning for a language beyond the literal, a way to capture the essence of experience rather than just its appearance.
The Turn Towards the Unseen
Post-war Norway was ripe for change, but its art scene largely remained tethered to tradition. It was here that Inger Sitter, with audacious vision, began to forge a new path. She wasn’t just dabbling in abstraction; she was actively pioneering a movement. Her canvas became a battleground for ideas, a space where form dissolved, and emotions took precedence.
Her signature style, Lyrical Abstraction, wasn’t an escape from reality, but rather a deeper engagement with it.
Sitter found her profound inspiration not in urban bustle or human drama, but in the raw, elemental power of nature. Think of the Norwegian coast – the relentless rhythm of the waves, the ancient, weather-beaten rocks by the shore near her home in Tjøme. These weren’t merely landscapes to be depicted; they were forces to be felt, absorbed, and then translated into vibrant colour and dynamic form.
“When I paint,” one can imagine her saying (or feeling), “I’m not painting a rock. I’m painting the feeling of the rock’s age, the force of the sea against it, the memory of wind-sculpted granite.” Her canvases pulsed with an organic energy, a direct echo of the natural world, expressed through fluid brushstrokes and an intuitive dance of colour.
Beyond the Canvas: A Champion for Artists
Sitter’s impact wasn’t confined to her studio. She was a woman of fierce conviction, deeply engaged in the social and political landscape of her time. Recognising the struggles of fellow artists, she became a tireless advocate, campaigning for better working conditions, public funding, and greater recognition for the arts.
Her groundbreaking appointment as the first female professor at the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts in 1981 was not just a personal triumph, but a powerful statement about the evolving role of women in the arts.
From monumental public commissions, like her powerful wall decorations for the Government building in Oslo in the 1950s or the stunning 32-meter frieze for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Hamar, to intimate graphic works, Inger Sitter’s art permeated public and private spaces alike. Each piece, whether grand or subtle, carried the unique imprint of her journey – a bridge between the visible and the felt.
Inger Sitter, who left us in 2015, didn’t just paint pictures; she painted possibilities. She taught a nation to see abstraction not as a void, but as a gateway to deeper understanding, proving that the most profound stories can sometimes be told without a single recognisable figure, but with the boundless, lyrical energy of a true pioneer.