On 5 September Museum Jorn in Silkeborg opens LIFE ANGST a large special exhibition about art as therapy, based on Asger Jorn’s stay at Silkeborg Sanatorium in the 1950s, a time marked by illness and economic crisis, but also by an exceptional artistic productivity.

Museum Ovartaci contributes with five works that are part of the exhibition's central narrative about the interaction between illness, healing, creativity and human existence in a modern world. Ovartaci's art is placed in dialogue with some of the most significant artists of the 20th century and becomes a key to understanding how art can create language, energy and new perspectives in a time marked by crises and changes.

The exhibition displays works by both historical and contemporary artists, which in addition to Ovartaci include Edvard Munch, Emma Kunz, Marina Abramović, Jeppe Hein, Michelle and Uri Kranot, Kristian Touborg and of course Asger Jorn himself.

In connection with the exhibition, Museum Jorn is publishing a beautiful catalogue, where you can not only experience Ovartaci's artistic universe, but also his voice, as one of his poems is included in the publication.

LIFE ANGST

Museum Jorn

5. September 2025 till 15. February 2026

At Museum Ovartaci we have lent 49 works for the upcoming traveling exhibition “Ovartaci - I started as a bird of paradise”. The exhibition, which was previously shown at the Cobra Museum in Amsterdam in 2023, can now be seen for the first time by a Danish audience in both 2025 and 2026.

The exhibition unfolds the story of Ovartaci's life showing his works in the connection with internationally renowned artists such as Asger Jorn and Jean Dubuffet. Both artists were fascinated by Ovartaci's immediate approach to art, and the exhibition centers around the connections between the Cobra movement and Ovartaci.

The exhibition can be seen until 1 March 2026 after which it is shown at Kunsten – Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg opening at 26 March 2026.

In connection with the exhibition, a research-based catalogue will be published elaborating on Ovartaci's significance in both Danish and international contexts – including the connections to art brut, the CoBrA movement and contemporary artists such as Tal R and Katrine Ærtebjerg. Mia Lejsted, director of Museum Ovartaci, has contributed to the catalogue, which will be available for purchase in the museum shop.

Ovartaci - I started as a bird-of-paradise

Art Museum Brandts

20 September 2025 till 1 March 2026

From 20 September 2025 till 1 March 2026, you can experience the exhibition ‘Ovartaci – I started as a bird-of-paradise’ at Kunstmuseum Brandts in Odense.

If you visit Museum Ovartaci during the exhibition period and you save your ticket, you will receive a 25% discount on your admission to Kunstmuseum Brandts upon presentation of the entry ticket from Museum Ovartaci or a membership card of Friends of Museum Ovartaci.

About the exhibition:

For more than six decades, Ovartaci created a unique life's work in Danish art history. Ovartaci's artistic oeuvre is not only part of Danish art history, but also international art history. The exhibition shows the connections to the Cobra movement, the art brut genre and focuses on tolerance, transgender and the potential of art.

The discount collaboration is valid during the exhibition period. The ticket/membership card must be valid or dated during the exhibition period.

During the K7 WEEK from 8 till 14 September admission to several museums in Denmark is free for young people under the age of 27. However, at Museum Ovartaci in Aarhus we do it differently:

Young people under the age of 27 have free admission throughout the year. *

We believe that art and culture make a difference by strengthen communities and make us know each other and give young people a place to belong to.

It is not just about looking at art but also about using art to think, feel, talk together and be curious about life.

‘Culture should not only be available for one week but for the entire year’ says Mia Lejsted Museum director and continues: ‘We would like to give the young people the opportunity to reflect on themselves, become wiser and feel that they too are a part of culture. That is what free admission is about’.

*Free admission applies when visiting the museum in your spare time – not as a part of group or as an educational group.

Join us as KLANGRUM, as part of K7 WEEK, invites you into a sensual open space at Museum Ovartaci where music is allowed to live, while the audience is invited to contemplation, calmness and inner awareness. KLANGRUM is a unique concert format created by Morten Ryelund and DUEN, where classical music is combined with bodily awareness, psychology and a new way of listening – for both musicians and audience.

In KLANGRUM, a safe and informal atmosphere is created for you to sit or lie down on the floor or your own yoga mat. The music is played with intense closeness, and the room is filled with authenticity in connection with the music. There is no expectation of understanding the music – only an invitation to experience, to feel and to be.

It is a performance-free romm, where the boundary between stage and audience dissolves. The music becomes a shared breathing space – a meditative meeting between people, where emotions find space, and where silence is an equal part of the concert. KLANGRUM is not just a concert. It is a musical hug, a pause in time, and a reminder of what music can be and do.

The concerts are on 14 September at 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 and admission to the concerts is free with a valid ticket to the museum (free admission for young people under 28 years of age). No registration required.

Who was Ovartaci – and why does his art still appeal to us today?

During the Autumn we offer guided tours for individuals and small groups (less than 10 people). The tour gives you the opportunity to get close to the house painter from Ebeltoft and learn more about why Ovartaci became a patient at the Psychiatric Hospital and why his art still enriches us with important insights and realizations today. And furthermore, you will learn about the thoughts behind the construction of the characteristic buildings in Risskov that housed the Psychiatric Hospital for more than 160 years.

The tour lasts 45-60 minutes and you can participate as an individual or in a small group (less than 10 people). We recommend you set aside time to immerse yourself in the exhibition afterwards. There are 20 tickets for each tour being sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

The guided tours are in Danish.

Tickets are selling fast, so don't wait too long – get your ticket today and secure a unique experience with Ovartaci's fascinating universe!

Buy your ticket:

Saturday 13 September at 13-14: SOLD OUT

Saturday 27 September at 13-14: SOLD OUT

Saturday  11 October kl. 13-14 

Saturday  1 November 13-14

Saturday   8 November 13-14

You might remember our striking, black Ovartaci cube opposite the hospital AUH in Skejby – our pop-up pavilion from 2017 when Aarhus was European Capital of Culture? It now has a new address and life. The pavilion was moved in collaboration with our talented Imperfect City partner RAMBØLL and can now be found at the museum and Kulturhus Bunkeren, where it will soon open its doors to a brand-new chapter filled with art, creativity and community and as the starting point of the planned Skeiby Sculpture Trail. In the future, you will be able to experience pop-up exhibitions, take part in creative communities and enjoy outdoor activities for children, young people and local residents. First, however, it needs a caring hand before the opening in October. We are really looking forward to it!

Keep an eye on our newsletter, for announcement of the opening date.

Members of Friends of Museum Ovartaci help ensure the continued existence of the museum and help make a difference by eliminating prejudices and create an understanding of mental illness through art and history of art.

In other words: Museum Ovartaci needs you!

As a member of Friends of Museum Ovartaci you get special benefits. You will be invited to events, openings, pre-views, special friend-events and a discount to selected events. Furthermore, a membership in Museum Ovartaci’s Friends grants free admission to the museum. Membership price 225 DKK per year.
Sign up and become a part of Museum Ovartaci’s Friends by following the link below.