Out With the Cow? Nivaagaard Exhibits Our Perception of The Cow Over 500 Years

The cow has become a hot topic in Denmark and the rest of the world in recent years. Now, Nivaagaard picks up the thread in the exhibition 'Milky Ways, the cow in art and culture,' where you can experience the last 500 years of fascination, symbolism, and controversy surrounding the iconic animal through Golden Age paintings and contemporary art.

A society built around the cow

What role does the cow play in Denmark? And has our perception of the cow changed? Just as the cow's legitimacy has become a subject of public discussion in recent years, artists have engaged with it over the last 500 years. From the Golden Age to today, the cow has served as a motif, symbol, and now a controversial figure.

Contemporary art in dialogue with older works

In the exhibition 'Milky Ways, the cow in art and culture,' you will encounter artworks that all share the common theme of engaging with the cow in one way or another. From charming landscape paintings of grazing cows to climate-conscious and skeptical contemporary works.

You will experience how contemporary art engages in a dialogue with works from the last 500 years. How our perception of the grazing animal has changed in sync with the changes in society and the planet. You will be confronted with themes such as identity, climate crisis, and gender - but also with the elevated significance and myths surrounding the cow as a figure.

Visit Nivaagaard Painting Collection - Danish Golden Age, Rhododendron Park, and Contemporary Art

Let children create their own cow art

Take the children to the "MOO" workshop. Here, throughout the summer, you can immerse yourselves in stories, art, and exciting activities.

3-in-30-days ticket

Buy the 3-in-30-day ticket and get access to the Karen Blixen Museum Rungstedlund, Kunsthallen Gl. Holtegaard and Nivaagaards Malerisamling for 30 days (valid for one visit to each place). The card can be purchased at all three locations.