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OUR HISTORY

 

Kunsthall 3,14 started its work already in 1985, but was first formally registered as a foundation in 1989. From 2015, Kunsthall 3,14 has been a member of Kunsthallene i Norge, who are part of the New Nordic Network, formed to investigate the significance of art centers. Since 2022, Kunsthall 3,14 has been an active member of World Art Foundations.

The 3,14 Foundation was established by three artists, who all had studied and spent extended periods of time abroad. Upon their return to Norway, they discovered their common fondness for acting beyond the local art scene, and started to facilitate meetings and exhibition exchange between colleagues from different cultures and regions worldwide – a quite unique approach to exhibition practice in Norway at the time. The founders produced numerous international shows per year in collaboration with other museums and galleries. From 1999, 3,14 got their own exhibition space centrally located in Vågsallmenningen in Bergen.

 

About the founders

Sigrid Szetu, painter who was trained at the Camberwell School of Art in London, and subsequently moved to Borneo for many years. Jan Erik Willgohs, painter, studied in Norway and continued at the Royal Academy in London before moving to Stockholm and Berlin. Gøran Ohldieck, print maker, studied initially in Bergen before moving to London and then later to Warsaw to study further printmaking.

HISTORY OF THE SPACE

 

Kunsthall 3,14 is situated in what was Norway's Bank (gamle Norges bank), on the second floor. The building, in empire/new renaissance style, was built in the period 1842-1844 by Ole Petter Riis Høegh. It is considered one of the country's most architectually significant buildings from that period. The bank´s interior was renovated by the renown architect Schak Bull in 1926. Renovation work, mainly interior, took place in 1939, 1954 and 1967. The building became listed on Dec. 17th 1986. Bergen municipality bought it in 1990.

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