On 31st October, Henie Onstad Kunstsenter will open the first major retrospective of Tom Sandberg in a Norwegian museum, Tom Sandberg: Vibrant World.
Tom Sandberg (1953–2014) was one of Norway's most significant and prolific art photographers whose work also gained international recognition. He is known for his atmospheric black-and-white photographs and his finely tuned modulation of shades of grey in the range between pitch black and pure white. This year marks 40 years since his first solo exhibition at a museum, held at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter in 1985.
‘The fact that Henie Onstad has now chosen to show a comprehensive presentation of the work of Tom Sandberg points back to a long, shared history between the artist and the museum. Sandberg exhibited at Henie Onstad a number of times and he played an important role in giving photography a place at Høvikodden, as one of the first museums in Norway’, said Anne Hilde Neset, Director of Henie Onstad Kunstsenter.
Sandberg presented his first exhibition at the museum in 1977, Two Photographers: Sandberg and Parslow. Around the same time, he became associated with Henie Onstad as a house photographer and documented several legendary events, such as Mauricio Kagel's commissioned work Ex-Position in 1978 and the Borealis II sculpture festival in 1985. He also portrayed several artists and composers who visited Henie Onstad, such as John Cage, Christo, Andrej Nebb, Iannis Xenakis and Krzysztof
Penderecki.
The exhibition has been organised in close collaboration with The Tom Sandberg Foundation and is curated by Susanne Østby Sæther, Senior Curator of Photography and New Media at Henie Onstad, in collaboration with artist Morten Andenæs, who worked as Sandberg's assistant for a period.
’With Tom Sandberg's close connection to Henie Onstad, it has been particularly interesting to look at Sandberg's lifelong interest in cross-artistic experimentation and exchange. The museum's interdisciplinary focus and Sandberg's role as both commissioned photographer and exhibiting artist help to enrich this exchange. With this exhibition, Henie Onstad seeks to highlight new perspectives on a central chapter in Norwegian photographic art history’ Susanne Østby Sæther has said.
The exhibition, which is presented in the museum’s largest gallery – Storsalen – presents more than 100 works, in addition to material from the museum's own archive. The selection includes several iconic works from the peak of Sandberg’s career, while also highlighting lesser-known works characterised by experimentation with format and technique.
‘The exhibition consists of well-known major works, works that have not been shown for decades from Henie Onstad's own collection, the National Museum and private lenders, as well as baryte copies and sketches taken from the archive held by The Tom Sandberg Foundation. I believe that this exhibition will give those who already know Sandberg's work new perspectives and be a thorough introduction for all those who are not yet familiar with his work. When you have the opportunity to dive into an entire artistic career spanning forty years, you have the possibility to highlight works and approaches that are rarely highlighted, such as Sandberg's humor’, said Morten Andenæs.
The exhibition runs until 1st March 2026.
A richly illustrated publication, published by Forlaget Press, with new perspectives by Sæther and Andenæs, author Torgrim Eggen and artist and author Vibeke Tandberg, accompanies the exhibition. The publication is designed by Kim Hiorthøy and Martin Asbjørnsen.
Installation view from Tom Sandberg: Vibrant World, 2025–2026, Henie Onstad Kunstsenter. Photo: Christian Tunge / Henie Onstad Kunstsenter
