GALLERI LILJE: Where modern meets contemporary

Trondheim is experiencing an art revival. Set in idyllic surroundings within an old 1800s barn, Gallery Lilje is at the forefront of the city’s new cultural momentum, combining modern Scandinavian masterpieces with emerging local talents.

Not everybody knows, but Trondheim, Norway’s fourth largest city, is one of the most important ones in artistic terms. Trondheim and surrounding areas are home to several of the country’s most renowned and best-selling artists, including the late Håkon Bleken, Jens Johannessen, Håkon Gullvåg and others.

An increasing number of private actors are now building on Trondheim’s artistic tradition and heritage, to create new galleries and museums where a wider audience can enjoy and engage with art in different forms. One of the pillars of this artistic revival is Gallery Lilje.

Galleri Lilje is at the forefront of Trondheim’s artistic revival.

Striking masterpieces in an idyllic setting

Set in an old barn from the 1800s in idyllic surroundings at Byåsen, a short tram ride from downtown Trondheim, Gallery Lilje first opened some fifteen years ago, when Frithjof Riis, the owner, decided to make his private art collection available to the public.

The collection is composed mostly of modern Scandinavian masterpieces that Riis inherited from his parents, who for decades ran a very influential gallery in Oslo. It features big names in Scandinavian art like Jakob Weidemann and even Edvard Munch.

Vernissage at Galleri Lilje.

The collection and the gallery immediately drew attention in the local area, but Riis wanted to do more than that. While parts of the original collection are exhibited every once in a while, most of the activity at Galleri Lilje is now commercial and focussed on contemporary art.

“Quality is the most important prerequisite, but I try to use my position to promote young and upcoming artists, especially local artists. You don’t have to be an established artist to exhibit here,” gallerist Riis underlines.

Currently on display is the exhibition Mitt Arboret, featuring Knut Sveen, a graphic artist from Trondheim.

Frithjof Riis is the man behind Galleri Lilje.

Attracting the younger generation

Riis, who grew up surrounded by art, takes his task as an art promoter seriously, especially vis-à-vis the younger generation. “It’s a challenge to attract young people to galleries and to art and cultural events in general – sometimes you get the feeling that all they do is look at a screen. Nevertheless, it’s a responsibility that gallerists like myself have to take seriously,” Riis stresses.

The gallerist admits that being able to exhibit some of the biggest names in Norwegian contemporary art helps to attract people that otherwise might not spend their free time touring galleries and art exhibitions.

“Five years ago, we hosted Ari Behn’s last art exhibition in Norway, and it was widely popular. The same holds true for Vebjørn Sand, who exhibited with us some seven years back and drew a lot of attention, both for his art and for his lectures,” he says.

Trondheim’s new, vibrant art scene

By now, Riis is not alone in his endeavour to revive Trondheim’s art scene; the city has experienced a wave of artistic activity in recent years. Often, private actors have taken the initiative, alone or in collaboration with the municipal authorities.

One of the most important new openings is Pomo, owned by Monica and Ole Robert Reitan. Another is the K.U.K. – an art house created to promote and inspire young artists – gifted to the city by visual artist Erik Killi-Olsen.

“I’m very happy that things are happening in the city now,” Riis underlines.
He explains that there are several noticeable and good private collections in Trondheim. While many of them are available to the public already, some are still not. “I think it’s only natural for people that have good collections to want to show them to the public,” Riis stresses.

For his part, in addition to Gallery Lilje, he plans to open a gallery café in the centre of Trondheim next fall, focusing on graphic art and photography alongside paintings.

When the time comes, Riis’ gallery café is certain to inspire new generations of local artistic talents to further Trondheim’s notable artistic heritage – much like Gallery Lilje has done since its opening. The gallery’s combination of collection pieces and new and upcoming artists has proved a winner. “It’s important to combine new activity with established works,” Riis points out. That, it seems, might well be a motto of his.

Galleri Lilje is situated in a1800s barn at Byåsen.

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