Galleri Format

Galleri Format, also known as Format Oslo, is a Norwegian exhibition and sales venue dedicated to contemporary crafts and material-based art. Founded in 1991 by Norske Kunsthåndverkere (the Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts), the gallery was established to present Norwegian crafts to a broader audience and to raise the standing of the field. It operates from Rådhusgaten 24 in Oslo, where it has been located since moving from earlier premises at Vestbanen and Munkedamsveien. The gallery describes itself as a leading venue for contemporary crafts and design in Norway, showing work of the finest artistic quality within material-based arts. Format's programme combines solo and duo exhibitions by both established and emerging artists, with the aim of reflecting current tendencies in contemporary crafts and design. The gallery works to strengthen the international position of Norwegian contemporary crafts and design, and it participates in international fairs such as Design Miami/Basel, NOMAD, Chart Design, Collect and SOFA. In 2017 it added a dedicated project room, designed by Kael Studio, to allow more flexible presentation of focused exhibitions, educational events and commission sales, and to give younger artists a first step toward a solo show. Ownership sits with Norske Kunsthåndverkere, the professional organisation for Norwegian craftspeople. The gallery is led by director Irija Øwre, who has held the role since 2011, following Karianne Sand's tenure as daily leader from 2005 to 2010. A board chaired by Gudrun Eidsvik oversees the institution. Format celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021. Its exhibition and sales activities, together with its participation in the Oslo Art District network in Kvadraturen, position it as a key commercial and promotional platform for Norwegian material-based art.

Galleri Format was founded in 1991 by Norske Kunsthåndverkere, the Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts, with the ambition of creating a venue and sales outlet where Norwegian crafts could be presented to a new and larger audience. The founding idea was to professionalise the operation and to make the field more visible through exhibitions and commission sales. The gallery's stated purpose was to raise the position of Norwegian crafts both nationally and internationally. In its early years Format was located at Vestbanen in Oslo. It later moved to Munkedamsveien and then to Rådhusgaten, where it remains today. In 1997 a branch of the Format concept was established in Bergen, organised under the Oslo leadership. In 2012 the Bergen gallery was separated into its own company; it changed its name from Format Bergen to KRAFT and gained greater freedom to find its own format. Leadership of the gallery has changed over the decades. Karianne Sand served as daily leader from 2005 to 2010, and since 2011 Irija Øwre has been director. In 2017 the gallery created a dedicated project room, designed by the architecture firm Kael Studio, by converting a former office space within its Rådhusgaten premises. The project room was conceived as a more flexible exhibition space for focused presentations, educational events and commission sales, giving younger and newly established artists a first step toward a solo exhibition, while experienced artists could show projects in development on the way to a larger exhibition at a public institution. Format has consistently worked with both established and emerging artists, and most of its exhibitions are solo and duo presentations. The gallery participates in international fairs including Design Miami/Basel, NOMAD, Chart Design, Collect and SOFA, reflecting its aim to strengthen the international standing of Norwegian contemporary crafts and design. In 2021 the gallery celebrated its 30th anniversary. It is part of the Oslo Art District, a collaborative network of galleries in Kvadraturen in Oslo.

• 2021

  Format celebrates its 30th anniversary.

• 2017

  Project room designed by Kael Studio opened in the Rådhusgaten premises.

• 2012

  Bergen gallery separated as its own company, renamed KRAFT.

• 2011

  Irija Øwre becomes director.

• 2005

  Karianne Sand becomes daily leader (until 2010).

• 1997

  A branch of the Format concept established in Bergen under Oslo leadership.

• 1991

  Galleri Format founded by Norske Kunsthåndverkere in Oslo.

A leading Norwegian gallery for contemporary crafts and design, dedicated to material-based art and to strengthening the international position of Norwegian crafts.

• Exhibitions of contemporary crafts and material-based art

• Commission sales of craft and design works

• Project room presentations

• International art fair participation

1. 1Format Oslo official websiteformat.no
2. 2About — Format Osloformat.no
3. 3Galleri Format — Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Format Oslo — Wikipedia (Norwegian)no.wikipedia.org