Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Visit of Cardinale Pacelli a Montmartre, Paris, 1938, Møllersamlingen © Magnum Photos.
About the Møller Collection
Photographs that tell stories
The Møller Collection is owned by Aars and is one of Scandinavia’s largest private photo collections. The collection consists of around 1,200 black-and-white and colour photographs, taken and developed from the mid-19th century up to the present day. It provides broad insight into photography as a medium, including various subjects, expressions and techniques.
The Møller Collection contains works by both young and established photographers, Norwegian and international. The oldest photograph can be dated back to the 1850s, and the youngest was printed “yesterday”. The collection provides a diverse perspective on the development of photography. It includes art photography, documentary and fashion photography in harmonious combination.
Based on Harald Møller’s personal interest, the family and Aars have over time developed a great enthusiasm for photography. This commitment extends across owners, leaders and employees in several of our businesses. Art historian Nina Sørlie is the curator of the collection and also leads the organisation of the annual Oslo Negativ photography festival, for which Aars is responsible.
A dedicated photography group, consisting of both owners and employees in our companies, evaluates new acquisitions and the overall strategy for the Møller collection. We are working continuously to develop the collection with a long-term perspective, driven by a desire to make a meaningful contribution to photography in Norway. We want to both bring international photographers to Norway and at the same time help to highlight Norwegian photographers. This ambition will also gain an important platform through the establishment of Fotografiska Oslo at Deich (opening in 2028).
Fin Serck-Hanssen, Uten Tittel (Ugle), fra serien Fugl, 1991 / BONO
David Goldblatt, Baby With Child-Minders and Dogs In The Alexandra Street Park, Hillbrow, 1972, Møllersamlingen. © David Goldblatt/Bono 2021.
An important aspect for Aars is that the Møller collection should be displayed. We do not wish to store the photographs in dark archives, but want them to be continuously exposed to an audience. Therefore, photographs from the collection are displayed in the building owned by Aars, and rotating mini-exhibitions can be found, for example, at the head office in Bygdøy Allé 4, at Møller Mobility Group in Frysja and at Function in Sandvika. Møller Eiendom also lends photographs from the Møller collection to some of its tenants. In the long term, the Møller collection will also be housed in Deich at Hammersborg. Here, the collection, together with Fotografiska, will play a central role in the presentation of photography to visitors.
The past few years have been very active years for the Møller Collection, with loans, exhibitions and photography festivals. Aars has also chosen to make the Møller collection available digitally to everyone who wishes to learn about it.
For information about the collection, please contact curator Nina Sørlie at nina@aars.no.
Nina Sørlie is the curator of the Møller Collection and knows the collection well. Here pictured in connection with the Oslo Negativ photo festival (Photo: Ranvei Lie, The Oslo Way).
Top image: Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Visit of Cardinal Pacelli to Montmartre, Paris, 1938, Møller Collection © Magnum Photos.