At Trapholt – Museum of Modern Art, Craft, and Design – newly acquired works are literally put on the street.
‘We’ve dedicated our long corridor, ‘Museum Street’, to our new acquisitions. Here, they’re often presented in dialogue with existing works from the collection, allowing visitors to see the interplay between old and new. It’s one of the conditions – or challenges – we set for ourselves when acquiring new craft and design pieces,’ says Sara Staunsager, curator at Trapholt.
Relevance is the key
Trapholt was not established with a significant acquisitions budget, and over time, the museum has built its collection primarily through external funding and donations – both from artists themselves and other benefactors. But a generous offer of donation does not automatically translate into acceptance.
‘These works go through the same curatorial process as any other acquisitions we actively seek funding for. We still have to justify the work’s relevance,‘ explains Sara.
The selection process is carried out by a curatorial team comprising the museum’s subject specialists and the director. Fortunately, says Sara, the team doesn’t always immediately agree. Instead, time is invested in visiting exhibitions and thoroughly engaging with materials provided by craftspeople and designers, allowing for a well-informed and collective decision-making process.
Sensorial impact – and a bit of practicality
The team works from a set of well-defined criteria when selecting works, Sara Staunsager explains:
‘Trapholt’s acquisition strategy for craft focuses in particular on exploratory works that operate in the intersection between art and craft. We look for pieces that demonstrate high technical quality but also embody a strong artistic intention. In other words: the work must have something to say. We also seek a powerful and sensorial formal language – works that spark curiosity and provoke both physical and emotional responses.’
‘We’re a sensorial museum, so a visitor shouldn’t have to rely on a background in art history to decode a piece – they should be able to feel it. Trapholt is also the only museum in Denmark to combine design, craft, and art under one roof, and we love exploring what happens when those three disciplines are blended in an exhibition context – so a piece must be suited to that kind of integration.’
In addition, a number of practical considerations come into play: ceiling height, floor load capacity, transportation costs, and long-term conservation and maintenance requirements.
Craft artists on the radar
As an example of a recent acquisition featured on Museum Street as part of the Trapholt Collect 2024 exhibition, Sara Staunsager highlights An Idea (2022) by ceramic artist Louise Hindsgavl – three large, striking ceramic vessels featuring motifs from past, present, and future, and references spanning East and West.
‘Louise is an exceptionally skilled craft artist whom we’ve followed for many years, and we’ve gradually expanded our collection with her work. She’s on our radar, as are several other particularly talented craftspeople, and we continuously assess how their work complements our existing holdings. I spotted this piece immediately during a major exhibition at Holmegaard Værk – it was by far the strongest work there and a perfect fit with our acquisition criteria.’
Behind the museum scene
When a craft artist or designer has their work included in a museum collection, it represents significant recognition. But who actually decides what belongs in a museum – and how does the process work? Formkraft takes a closer look at the selection processes at four Danish museums of craft and design.