History

Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium is an art center that exhibits contemporary art by Norwegian as well as international artists. The art center is open from May to September every year, and has as a goal to make art interesting and available to everyone.

The history of Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium (Art Laboratory) is remarkable. The former cellulose factory was founded in 1886. The factory was closed down in 1973, and was not in use for almost 30 years, until the artist Morten Viskum bought it in 2001.

From 2001 till 2003 work was initiated towards transforming the old building into an exhibition space. With its unique and rough character the building itself is a significant and successful example of the reuse of older architecture, and provides an interesting historical frame for the artistic expressions of our own time.

2025 was the year we finally succeeded in installing the much-needed lift. This had been an ambition form the very start in 2003, but only now did we have the financial resources to accomplish it – thanks to support from Arts Council Norway and a gift from Sparebanken Øst, for which we are immensely grateful.