Nordic art brings a chilly edge to the British Museum

From deconstructed brutalism to screaming ladies to abstract blocks of colour, an exhibition of Nordic art has opened at the British Museum.

Featuring over 150 works by 100 artists from the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), it’s an exhibition not of a theme or style, but a collection of a wide range of people and styles – simply because of their place of birth.

That does make the exhibition a bit out-there then and more like a random mishmash of art dumped in a room together. And yet, there does seem to be some sort of cultural linkage going on between them, so what should be a bit of a mess is messy, but in a good way.

The exhibition opens with two important prints by Edvard Munch, because no Nordic exhibition can ignore him, and explores how the graphic arts continued to flourish and evolve after his death. It includes prints of the Norwegian colour woodcut school of the 1940s; Danish prints tackling post-war angst and the threat of the Cold War; and political art from the 1970s.

The contemporary Nordic artists represented here delve into the world of Norse myth, struggles with mental health and modern political issues such as feminism or the rights of the Indigenous Sámi people.

Because it’s such a varied exhibition, there’s no topic or theme, which left me feeling that I had seen a good collection of good art, but lacking the impact that often comes from exhibitions devoted to a single subject.

However, if you enjoy exploring a wide variety of art, you’ll probably really like it.

As well as Edvard Munch and Mamma Andersson, featured artists include Olafur Eliasson, John Savio, Vanessa Baird, Yuichiro Sato, Fatima Moallim, John Kørner and many more.

The exhibition, Nordic Noir, is at the British Museum until 22nd March 2026, and is free to visit.

You can find it in Room 90, which is on the fourth floor at the rear of the museum.