Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art), Stockholm, Sweden, is a state museum for modern and
contemporary art located on the island of
Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm, opened in 1958. In 2009 the museum opened the
Moderna Museet Malmö in
Malmö.
On 8November 1993, six works by Picasso and two by
Georges Braque totaling more than £40m were stolen from the museum in a renowned coup where the burglars came in through the roof by night, copying the method from the 1955 French film Rififi (French: Du rififi chez les hommes).[8] All six of the Picasso paintings and one of the Braque paintings have been recovered.[9]
Visiting the permanent collection is free of charge, but some of the temporary exhibitions has entrance fees.[10]
Pontus Hultén Collection
In 2005, former museum director
Pontus Hultén bequeathed over 700 works of art to Moderna Museet, along with his archive and library. A few works of the collection are on display with the museum's permanent collection; many others are exhibited in the purpose-built Pontus Hultén Study Gallery.[4]
Sculpture park
The museum has a sculpture park on the island with works by
sculptors of diverse nationalities.[11]
The museum was initially housed in
Exercishuset on Skeppsholmen.[2]
In 1994–98, it was temporarily moved to another location, the Spårvägshallarna,[12] in Stockholm while the new building on Skeppsholmen, designed by the Spanish architect
Rafael Moneo, was built.[13] The
Pontus Hultén Study Gallery was designed by
Renzo Piano.
The museum organizes and is a venue for temporary contemporary art exhibitions throughout the year. In 2005, the museum hosted the
onedotzero festival bringing a new younger audience to the museum with screenings, installations, talks and live VJ audio-visual events.[14]