Amos Rex delivers large-scale loans from Konstsamfundet’s collection to Kunstsilo in Norway for exhibition of Finnish modernist pioneer Birger Carlstedt

Amos Rex is pleased to partner with Southern Norway’s Kunstsilo for Flowers Everywhere, an exhibition exploring the work of one of Finland’s great modernist pioneers.  

Birger Carlstedt (1907–1975) drew inspiration from the Parisian avant-garde and modern music. This exhibition traces his artistic evolution from figurative still lifes and floral compositions to colourful geometric, abstract works. Carlstedt was among Finland’s first painters influenced by concrete art, merging Cubist approaches with abstract principles. In the 1930s, he explored Analytical Cubism, fragmenting still lifes into multiple perspectives and incorporating what he called a “memory dimension” to capture the simultaneity of experience.  

By the 1940s, his compositions were increasingly abstract, often inspired by music. The exhibition presents a rare opportunity to experience Carlstedt’s pioneering vision in dialogue with broader European modernism, highlighting his importance as one of Finland’s most influential early abstract painters.  

The exhibition title, Flowers Everywhere, comes from Henri Matisse’s words: “There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” 

Amos Rex’s collection includes over 500 catalogued works by Birger Carlstedt, the majority of which are paintings. In addition, the museum holds thousands of sketches, drawings, and drafts. In 2019–2020, Amos Rex presented a comprehensive exhibition of Carlstedt’s work, which brought together around a hundred key works alongside sketches and preparatory material, as well as a spectacular reconstruction of the legendary ‘Le Chat Doré’ café. A comprehensive book – Birger Carlstedt: Modernismens utmaningar / Modernismin haaste – of the exhibition was also published and is available in Swedish and Finnish. 

The exhibition Flowers Everywhere. Birger Carlstedt’s journey toward freedom in form and colour is on view 26 September 2025–1 March 2026 at Kunstsilo in Kristiansand, Norway.