Public Art Norway (KORO)

KORO is Norway’s national body responsible for curating, producing and activating art in public space. KORO manages an extensive collection of some 8.000 artworks accessible at around 1.000 sites throughout Norway and abroad. In addition, KORO is a national center for research and knowledge development within the field of public art.

KORO produces, curates and funds art for public space throughout Norway and at Norwegian consulates and embassies abroad. We conduct collection management and public-engagement activities relating to a large collection of artworks throughout Norway. All the artworks share the characteristic of being publicly accessible. In addition, KORO fulfils its role as the national knowledge centre within its field, conducting and facilitating research, curatorial courses, and a host of seminars and public programming related to our activities.

Our role within Norwegian cultural policy is to ensure that as many people as possible encounter a diverse range of high-quality artworks in public buildings and other public spaces. The work of KORO is also intended to contribute to the development of contemporary art and provide artists with commissions and incomes. KORO conducts its professional activities according to arm’s-length principles practiced across Norwegian cultural policy, ensuring free artistic expression remains protected in the public sphere.  

In producing art in public places where people spend time on a regular basis, our ambition is to reach out to everyone, including those who do not usually visit galleries and art museums. The results of our efforts should be works to which the public, our commissioners and actors in the arts cannot be indifferent. Our remit is to install art that is universally accessible, but not necessarily with universal appeal. The resulting area of tension is where the significance of the artworks emerges and where KORO contributes to setting the artistic agenda.