ARoS is expanding its collection with 13 works by Danish and international artists

So far in 2026, ARoS has added 13 new works to its collection, including James Turrell’s Skyspace As Seen Below. Several of the works will be presented in the museum’s brand new collection exhibition, opening on 28 November.

“The collection is the foundation of ARoS and is crucial to how we develop the museum in the years ahead. This year’s acquisitions strengthen our artistic profile and bring new perspectives to the art historical narratives we tell. James Turrell’s As Seen Below is, of course, a particularly significant milestone, but the other acquisitions also contribute to the breadth and artistic quality of the collection. None of this would be possible without the generous support of the foundations that help us develop the ARoS Collection,” says Museum Director Rebecca Matthews.

The acquisitions are guided by ARoS’ collection development strategy towards 2033, which aims to strengthen the collection’s depth, breadth and diversity. New works will create connections across art history and introduce fresh perspectives that open up new experiences and interpretations.

ARoS has also committed to making all new acquisitions accessible through exhibitions, research or educational activities within five years.

Works by leading artists
In 2026, ARoS has acquired three significant works by Philippe Parreno (b. 1964), Jeannette Ehlers (b. 1973) and Helen Pashgian (b. 1934), among others.

Philippe Parreno’s Marquee (2025) consists of more than 100 illuminated light bulbs forming a sign inspired by the classic cinema marquees of Hollywood. With no lettering, only the light and structure remain.

Jeannette Ehlers’ In The Time of Ongoing War, Can We Flee into Each Other? (2022) consists of a whip made from rope, banana leaves, indigo-dyed fabric and synthetic hair. The work explores the violence of colonialism and the potential for liberation, while highlighting the continued relevance of Denmark’s colonial history today.

Helen Pashgian’s Untitled (2025) creates an immersive experience of colour and light, in which subtle shifts in light intensity influence the perception of space. Pashgian is a pioneer of the Light and Space movement, which emerged in California in the 1960s. The acquisition reinforces ARoS’ focus on light and perception while establishing an art historical connection to James Turrell’s Skyspace.

ARoS’s acquisitions in 2026
So far in 2026, ARoS has acquired the following 13 works. The list is provisional, with further acquisitions expected before the end of the year.The Glass Staircase and the Little Dancer (1978) by Lene Adler Petersen 

• As Seen Below – The Dome, a Skyspace by James Turrell (2026) by James Turrell

• Wisteria (undated) by Anna Ancher

• Walking, Falling, Standing (1968) by Svend Wiig Hansen 

• Souci (32) (2010) by Sophie Calle 

• Maman (2010) by Sophie Calle 

• Maternité / motherhood (2018) by Sophie Calle 

• Souris (mouse) (2020) by Sophie Calle 

• In The Time of Ongoing War, Can We Flee into Each Other? (2022) by Jeannette Ehlers

• Marquee (2025) by Philippe Parreno 

• Untitled, Berkeley (Alternate 1) (1974) by Elyn Zimmerman 

• Untitled (2025) by Helen Pashgian

• Kaassassuk Thule Vessel (2020–2022) by Martin Brandt Hansen

The acquisitions have been made possible through generous support from the Augustinus Foundation, the Salling Foundations, the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation, the 15 June Foundation and the New Carlsberg Foundation.

New works on display in November
Several of the newly acquired works will feature in the new collection exhibition, spanning Levels 6 and 8, which opens on 28 November 2026. Others will be presented in future exhibitions or may be seen on loan to other museums.

“What makes a museum collection so special is the way artworks from vastly different periods and places can come together and shed new light on one another. With these new acquisitions, we have even more opportunities to create unexpected connections and tell new stories through art. I look forward to welcoming visitors to the new collection exhibition in just over a month’s time, where they can experience several of the new works and discover for themselves the many stories the collection has to tell,” says Anne Mette Thomsen, Head of Collection and Exhibition Administration at ARoS.

The entire ARoS Collection to become available online

When the collection exhibition reopens on 28 November, ARoS will also make its entire art collection available online for the first time. This will allow everyone to explore the museum’s artworks, including those not currently on display, and keep up to date with new acquisitions.

Press images can be downloaded via Dropbox and may be used freely with appropriate credit.

Helen Pashgian, Untitled, 2025. Caltech. Photo: Joshua White Photography

For further information, please contact:
ARoS Press and Communications
presse@aros.dk
+45 61904942