Annual reports

Annual report 2024

The Board of Directors of ARoS has approved the museum's annual accounts for 2024 - a year that marked the museum's 20th anniversary at ARoS Allé and was characterised by high visitor numbers, internationally recognised exhibitions and a balanced financial result.

2024 was a significant year with eight major exhibition openings, including the critically acclaimed Richard Mortensen - Between the Lines and Art and Life, where Ron Mueck's monumental work A Girl (2006) - a five-metre long, hyper-detailed sculpture of a newborn - attracted 504,000 visitors alone. In total, over 650,000 guests visited ARoS in 2024, 565,484 of them with a ticket or annual pass, making the museum one of the most visited art museums in Denmark.

Museum Director Rebecca Matthews said:

"2024 was a landmark year for ARoS, combining artistic rigour with strong public support. The anniversary programme created new connections between audiences and art, and we have seen significant interest both nationally and internationally. I am proud of the foundation we have laid for ARoS' future journey as a museum with ambition, anchoring and vision."

The result for the year shows a profit of DKK 0.8 million and a strengthened equity. This reflects a stable and well-run organisation with high visitor numbers and strong support from foundations and the business community. With an equity ratio of 74%, ARoS continues to consolidate its financial foundation towards 2033 - the year when the museum's long-term vision is realised.

In 2024, the collection was expanded with significant works by renowned American artist Sarah Sze (b. 1969) and British artist and filmmaker Sir Isaac Julien (b. 1960) - both with clear thematic and formal connections to current global issues. The acquisitions support ARoS' ambition to strengthen its profile in international contemporary art.

The construction of ARoS' extensive museum extension The Next Level also marks a new chapter in the museum's development. The expansion includes a new underground gallery, an open Art Square and the iconic building and artwork The Dome, a Skyspace by James Turrell, and will increase the museum's exhibition space by 20 per cent.

In October 2024, the building extension was connected to the existing museum and on 20 June 2025, the first stage of the historic museum extension will open when the new underground gallery, Salling Galleriet, officially opens with the exhibition Lost Property by British installation artist Jenkin van Zyl. The opening date for The Dome will be announced later in 2025.

Head of the Board of ARoS Laura Hay Uggla says:

"The Board is very pleased with the result for 2024, which creates a strong foundation for the museum's ambitions to remain a unique cultural landmark in the heart of Aarhus - also in the years to come. With The Next Level, ARoS takes an important step in a strategic development based on institutional strength, artistic ambition and the desire to actively contribute to both Aarhus' cultural life and society at large. The expansion creates a new framework for the audience and supports our vision of being a leading art institution - locally rooted and with international reach."

The annual report also highlights progress in sustainability, research and brand development. In 2024, ARoS maintained its Green Attraction certification, launched a new visual identity, achieved high visitor numbers and became the most popular museum among young people during the nationwide K7 Week. At the same time, research work was strengthened through a postdoctoral appointment of Marie Arleth Skov, peer-reviewed publications and new international collaborations.

Annual reports

Annual report 2024

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