HEART – Herning Museum of Contemporary Art

Where textiles, industry and art merge into one story

HEART – Herning Museum of Contemporary Art sits in Birk, just outside Herning, in a cultural enclave that grew out of the region’s textile boom. The museum’s roots lie with shirt manufacturer and passionate art collector Aage Damgaard, who began inviting avant‑garde artists to decorate his Angli shirt factory in the mid‑20th century. Those collaborations seeded a collection that would eventually become a dedicated art museum in the 1970s, initially housed inside the former circular factory itself. The current museum continues this dialogue between industry and imagination. Its name, HEART, hints at both Herning and the idea of art as a living organ of the city, pulsing between business life and creative experiment. That legacy remains visible in the works on display and in the close relationship between the museum, local companies and the surrounding design schools.

A building shaped like folded shirts

The museum’s present home, opened in 2009, is an architectural destination in its own right. Designed by acclaimed American architect Steven Holl, the low, sweeping structure was inspired by the textile heritage of Herning and the old Angli factory opposite. Seen from above, its plan recalls overlapping shirt sleeves laid on a table, a playful nod to the site’s industrial past. Outside, the softly curved white concrete façades are cast with a subtle textile-like texture that catches the Danish light. Reflecting pools and lawns extend the building into the surrounding park, while inside, gently undulating ceilings evoke draped canvas. Natural light filters into the galleries in carefully controlled ways, producing a calm, luminous atmosphere that flatters both bold installations and delicate works on paper.

From Manzoni to Cronhammar: a collection with an edge

HEART is renowned for its focus on conceptual and experimental art from the 1930s onwards, with a particular emphasis on Italian post‑war movements and Danish innovators. At its core is the world’s largest collection of works by Italian artist Piero Manzoni, whose radical ideas about what can count as art helped define contemporary practice. Alongside Manzoni you may encounter pieces by figures such as Lucio Fontana, Mario Merz, Joseph Beuys and Jannis Kounellis. Danish and Nordic artists are equally prominent. The museum holds important works by Paul Gadegaard, Ingvar Cronhammar, Victor Vasarely, Bjørn Nørgaard and others who pushed boundaries in painting, sculpture and installation. The result is a collection that often challenges expectations, rewarding visitors who enjoy art that asks questions rather than giving easy answers.

Evolving exhibitions, concerts and creative workshops

Beyond its collection, HEART stages several major temporary exhibitions each year, drawing on both Danish and international contemporary artists. These shows range from immersive installations occupying entire galleries to focused presentations on a single artist or theme, making repeat visits feel distinctly different. The building also contains a 150‑seat auditorium and rehearsal spaces that host Ensemble MidtVest, a chamber music group that adds another cultural layer to the museum. Concerts, talks, film screenings and educational activities frequently animate the auditorium. Families can take advantage of workshop spaces where children experiment with materials and ideas inspired by what they have just seen in the galleries.

Café culture and sculpture-filled surroundings

Visiting HEART is as much about the wider setting as what hangs on the walls. Just across from the museum stretches a sculpture park laid out in the 1960s, dotted with works by mainly Danish artists in a landscaped environment originally conceived as a recreational area for factory workers. Today it extends the museum experience outdoors and offers a tranquil place to pause between galleries. Inside, a bright café serves brunches, light meals, coffee and cake, with large windows framing views of the lawns, reflecting pools and nearby sculptures. An on‑site shop stocks art books, design objects and carefully chosen gifts that reflect the museum’s aesthetic. Whether you come for a single exhibition, a concert or simply to soak up the atmosphere of one of Denmark’s most distinctive contemporary art venues, HEART offers a layered, slow-burn experience that rewards curiosity and lingering.