Image: Willibald Storn, "Gaza alter". Photo: Oseana
Telemark Kunstmuseum will open 'Nederlagets seier', a major exhibition by Willibald Storn, on Saturday 5 September at 1 pm. The show runs in Sal 1 from 5 September 2026 to 10 January 2027 and is presented as a large survey of central themes in the artist’s work, spanning painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, installation and photography.
The museum describes Storn, born in 1936, as one of Norway’s most distinctive and uncompromising artists. The exhibition is framed around ideas that have recurred throughout his career, including solidarity, social engagement and criticism of consumer society. According to the museum’s website, the presentation includes works from the 1970s through to 2026, with several works shown publicly for the first time.
The exhibition also marks Storn’s 90th anniversary year in 2026. Telemark Kunstmuseum describes Storn as an Austrian-Norwegian painter and printmaker who has lived and worked in Norway since 1956, debuted at Høstutstillingen in 1963, held his first solo show at Oslo Kunstforening in 1965 and co-founded the artist group GRAS in 1969–70 with Per Kleiva, Morten Krogh and Anders Kjær. The museum’s online text highlights his expressive and energetic visual language and says his art has left clear marks on Norwegian contemporary art. It also characterises his practice as strongly political, with many works addressing social issues and solidarity.
The museum’s exhibition page adds a contemporary political context to the show by noting that Storn has been working since 2023 on series about the genocide in Gaza and Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Palestine. It says that, for Storn, who was a child during war, children’s suffering is of particular concern, and that a substantial part of the exhibition is devoted to these recent works. The museum also says the exhibition includes newer works such as 'Oslo Suiten' and 'Plastikk fantastikk', alongside older pieces.
The opening program includes remarks by Kari Brandtzæg, an art historian and curator at MUNCH, and Marit Gillespie, head of Galleri Brandstrup. Music will be provided by Bendik Hofseth, described by the museum as a jazz musician and composer. Tickets for the opening are available through the museum’s booking system.
The exhibition is curated by Susanne Grina Lange at Telemark Kunstmuseum, which is part of Norsk Industriarbeidermuseum and described by the institution as the regional art museum for Telemark. The museum’s website lists 'Nederlagets seier' as one of its current and upcoming exhibitions, with the presentation set to continue until 10 January 2027 at O.H. Holtasgate 27 in Notodden.
