KORO produces, curates and funds art for public space throughout Norway and at Norwegian consulates and embassies abroad. We conduct collection management and public-engagement activities relating to a large collection of artworks throughout Norway. All the artworks share the characteristic of being publicly accessible. In addition, KORO fulfils its role as the national knowledge centre within its field, conducting and facilitating research, curatorial courses, and a host of seminars and public programming related to our activities.

Our role within Norwegian cultural policy is to ensure that as many people as possible encounter a diverse range of high-quality artworks in public buildings and other public spaces. The work of KORO is also intended to contribute to the development of contemporary art and provide artists with commissions and incomes. KORO conducts its professional activities according to arm’s-length principles practiced across Norwegian cultural policy, ensuring free artistic expression remains protected in the public sphere.  

In producing art in public places where people spend time on a regular basis, our ambition is to reach out to everyone, including those who do not usually visit galleries and art museums. The results of our efforts should be works to which the public, our commissioners and actors in the arts cannot be indifferent. Our remit is to install art that is universally accessible, but not necessarily with universal appeal. The resulting area of tension is where the significance of the artworks emerges and where KORO contributes to setting the artistic agenda.

In addition to producing specific art projects connected to individual public building initiatives, every year KORO also acquires art directly from artists and galleries as well as provides funding on an application basis for a large number of public art projects throughout Norway. These activities are organized through KOROs two primary funding schemes, the Art Programme for Local Communities (LOK) and Kunstordningen LES.

KORO is a subordinate agency of the Ministry of Culture. Our offices are located at Victoria Terrasse in the centre of Oslo.