Bergen Kunsthall has appointed Kjersti Solbakken as its new director. Solbakken began on 1 October, after opening this year’s edition of Lofoten International Art Festival 2024, organised by the North Norwegian Art Centre and which she curated.
Born in 1984 in Valnesfjord, Norway, Solbakken has previously held director posts at Kunstnerforbundet, Galleri Format and Fotogalleriet – all based in Oslo.
Kjersti Solbakken said of her appointment: ‘Bergen Kunsthall is a central meeting place with a distinctive 186-year history presenting an ambitious, experimental, and cross-genre program that reaches a wide and engaged audience. The institution plays a unique role in various art contexts nationally and internationally, as well as within Bergen’s population and cultural field. This is the outcome of many years of focused work that I am excited to carry on with both current and future partners, an active board, and a knowledgeable staff.’
