Herning to build museum dedicated to sculptor Ingvar Cronhammar

A new museum showcasing the works of the late Swedish-Danish sculptor Ingvar Cronhammar is planned for the Danish city of Herning, with completion expected within a few years, DR reports.

Janus Cronhammar, the artist’s son and a member of the project working group, said the museum could open as early as 2030. “This is monumental. It adds a new dimension to his legacy,” he told the broadcaster.

The 3,000-square-metre facility, with 1,600 square metres of exhibition space, will be built near Elia, one of Cronhammar’s most debated large-scale sculptures. The artist himself designed the museum before his death in May 2021, leaving precise plans for its execution.

“We cannot and must not change anything,” Janus Cronhammar said. “It must reflect my father’s vision, and I see myself as his assistant now that he’s no longer here.”

Nils Stærk, a longtime collaborator of Cronhammar and fellow working group member, described the artist’s meticulous approach. “Those who knew Ingvar understand that he demanded things be done in a very specific way. He was uncompromising in his art and his work overall,” Stærk said.

He added that Cronhammar’s decision to design his own museum was a natural extension of his lifelong consideration of how his sculptures should be displayed.