Image: Lysverket, Bergen
Kode in Bergen has released a new podcast, 'Historien om norsk kunsthåndverk', alongside its ongoing exhibition 'KUNST·HÅND·VERK' at Lysverket. The podcast asks what distinguishes art from craft and traces how Norwegian craft has developed over the past 50 years, using the exhibition as its backdrop and frame of reference.
The episode is led by Anne Britt Ylvisåker, an art historian and former chief curator at Kode, who is presented by the museum as a knowledgeable guide to Norwegian craft history. According to Kode, she takes listeners through a narrative shaped by generational rebellion, ceramics and weaving looms. The podcast is part of Kode’s own cultural podcast series, 'Permanenten'.
The release connects directly to 'KUNST·HÅND·VERK', which Kode says runs at Lysverket from 11 April to 16 August 2026. The exhibition presents contemporary craft through more than 100 works, while an email from the museum describes it as featuring over 125 works in many sizes, materials and colours, made by contemporary craft artists, many of them from Bergen. The show is described by Kode as sensory and varied, ranging from large immersive installations to small, detail-rich objects.
On the exhibition page, Kode says 'KUNST·HÅND·VERK' explores materiality, craft traditions, everyday life, decoration, reuse and post-industrialism. The museum adds that the project brings together different voices and perspectives through audio narratives, texts, activity zones and videos that show working processes. A dedicated weaving room in the first floor of Lysverket also lets visitors take part by weaving or making hatching, extending the exhibition into an active workshop setting.
The exhibition is a joint project tied to the 50th anniversary of Norske Kunsthåndverkere in 2025. Kode says it has collaborated with the National Museum and Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum to present craft as a current and important art form. The show is largely based on the three museums’ collections, with an emphasis on works from the last 25 years, and is staged first in Oslo before travelling on to Bergen and Trondheim.
Kode’s newsletter notes that 'KUNST·HÅND·VERK' is open at Lysverket until Sunday 16 August, with opening hours Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. The museum also offers guided tours in the exhibition on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 3 pm, included in the admission ticket.
