On 4 June at 5:00 PM, Museum Ovartaci opens the exhibition ‘O de Óscar. El trazo que sostiene el mundo’ / ‘The Line That Holds the World’.

The exhibition presents the first international solo show of Chilean artist Óscar Morales Martínez – a powerful and distinctive voice whose work resonates strongly with our contemporary moment. It offers a comprehensive insight into an artistic practice where drawing, writing, and imagination unfold as a cohesive existential whole.

Morales’ works are characterized by a complex visual and symbolic system, where repetition, colour, and line create a unique visual language. Developed over a lifetime within institutional settings, his practice unfolds into a poetic universe where the personal, the spiritual, and the everyday intertwine.

Opening programme:
5:00 PM: Welcome & opening remarks
by Museum Director Mia Lejsted, the ambassador of Chile Felipe Cousiño  and curator Paula Caballería.
5:20 PM: Exhibition opens.

The exhibition runs until 18 October 2026

.

Supported by: The Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fundación Setba Chile, Fonden Marie Fogeds Legat, Arne V. Schlechs Fond and FO-Aarhus’ Debatpulje.

Museum Ovartaci is open on Constitution Day from 10 AM – 5 PM and invites you to a reflective and engaging museum experience.

Our front-of-house staff will welcome you and provide an introduction to the exhibitions, offering a strong starting point for your visit. The exhibitions present artistic practices and personal narratives that invite reflection and new perspectives.

As Constitution Day in Denmark also marks Father’s Day, it is an ideal opportunity to invite your father for a shared experience. Explore the exhibitions together, take your time, and engage in something that resonates beyond the day itself. Alongside the museum’s permanent collection, you can experience the special exhibition by Óscar Morales Martínez, visit the museum garden, and explore the museum shop, where refreshments are also available.

How are art, imagination, and mental health connected – and who has been included in art history?

These questions frame Curators Hour on 11 June at 5:00 PM at Museum Ovartaci, where curator Paula Caballería introduces Chilean artist Óscar Morales Martínez and his distinctive visual universe. Through his work, the event opens a nuanced conversation about Art Brut and outsider art – forms often created outside established institutions, yet gaining increasing international recognition today.

Morales’ detailed drawings and imaginative architectures reveal a personal and poetic universe where the everyday and the spiritual merge. The event also highlights art’s role as a space for freedom, memory, and resistance, while raising questions about who has historically been overlooked.

With perspectives from Fundación Setba Chile, the event also sheds light on efforts to increase inclusion and visibility for artists outside the mainstream art world. Curators Hour invites reflection and new ways of understanding both art and the world.

The event is held in English and is free with paid museum admission.

One year after receiving the jury’s Special Commendation at the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA), it is evident that the recognition has had significant strategic impact for Museum Ovartaci.

The award has strengthened the museum’s position, increased its international visibility, and opened new opportunities for collaboration. At the same time, it has internally affirmed and reinforced the museum’s practice with a focus on inclusion, participation, and community.

The EMYA Special Commendation has thus served both as a mark of professional quality and as a catalyst for the museum’s continued positive development.

Museum Ovartaci invites children in grades 2–4 to a three-day creative summer programme focused on experimental art and recycling.

Participants will work both indoors and outdoors to create imaginative, quirky, and sensory artworks, with an emphasis on creativity and material exploration. The programme concludes with a small exhibition, where family members are invited to experience the works created over the three days.

The activity takes place at Museum Ovartaci’s Children & Youth Atelier in Aarhus N from 30 June to 2 July, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Participants should bring practical clothing and a packed lunch.

Registration opens on 8 June via: boern@ovartaci.dk

Spending your summer in Aarhus – or hosting visitors in the city? Museum Ovartaci is well worth a visit.

Here, you can share a museum experience where art both moves and challenges. Through strong visual expressions and personal narratives, the exhibitions invite reflection and conversations that extend beyond the museum space.

During the summer, visitors can also join guided tours offering deeper insight into Ovartaci as an artist, patient, and human being. These tours contextualize both his life and artistic practice, providing a nuanced understanding of the conditions under which his works were created.

Tours are available in both Danish and English – see available times here

After your visit, you can relax in the museum’s lounge area with refreshments or explore the museum shop and take home a unique memento.

Museum Ovartaci is open Monday–Friday 10 AM – 5 PM, Thursday 10 AM – 8 PM, and weekends 12 PM – 5 PM.

You can now combine your museum visit with a meal in the Cultural Centre Café.

As a new addition, the café now offers tapas. Throughout the summer, you can visit the café on weekdays between 12:00 and 17:00 as part of your museum experience.

As part of this new offering, tapas plates are available in two sizes: a small for DKK 69 and a large for DKK 99. The classic tapas plate includes Serrano ham, chorizo, green pepper pâté, olives, pesto, smoked almonds, cornichons, cheese, bread, butter, and a small piece of chocolate.

A vegetarian option is also available, featuring hummus, stuffed peppers, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, pesto, smoked almonds, cheese, bread, butter, and a small piece of chocolate.

You will find the café in the basement of the Cultural Centre.

Make a difference for art and Museum Ovartaci by becoming a member of the Friends of Museum Ovartaci.

The association Friends of Museum Ovartaci was founded in 2016 and helps ensure that the museum can continue to create engaging exhibitions, develop and preserve its unique collection, and carry on its important work of challenging stigma and fostering understanding of mental illness through art and cultural history.

Your support makes a real difference!

Membership benefits include:

Free admission to the museum for the cardholderand one guest
Invitations to exhibition openings
Invitations to special events
Discounted member prices for selected events

Read more
Membership fee: DKK 325 for a personal membership + guest