What is Museum Ovartaci?

Museum Ovartaci is an art museum in Aarhus that tells stories about art, psychiatry and human resilience – with a main emphasis on works created by Ovartaci.

Ovartaci was the stage name of Louis Marcussen, a patient at Risskov psychiatric hospital. He lived and created art for more than 50 years as part of his survival strategy.

What can you experience at Museum Ovartaci?

You can experience Ovartaci's works, dolls, poems and figures – as well as rooms and installations built with parts from the old psychiatric hospital.

Where is Museum Ovartaci located?

Museum Ovartaci is located in the Bunkeren Cultural Center, Olof Palmes Allé 11, 8200 Aarhus N.

Is there a workshop at Museum Ovartaci?

Yes, the museum has an open workshop where former psychiatric patients create art and contribute to exhibitions and communities.

Is Museum Ovartaci part of psychiatry?

No, the museum is an independent institution, but has roots in psychiatry and still works with art in relation to mental health.

Ovartaci Museum

Olof Palmes Allé 11, 8200 Aarhus N

Museum Ovartaci: Art, identity and psychiatry under one roof

Museum Ovartaci is one of Aarhus' most unique museums. Here you will encounter both the history of psychiatry and the art created by patients who have been admitted to the former psychiatric hospital in Risskov over time. Through five thematic exhibitions, the museum explores topics such as identity, normality and human perspective and invites reflection on how we see ourselves and each other.



Exhibitions



Atmosphere



Practical

Louis Marcussen: The artist behind the name Ovartaci

Museum Ovartaci tells the story of Louis Marcussen, who later took the name Ovartaci. After a trip to Argentina, he was admitted to the Psychiatric Hospital in Risskov, where he lived most of his adult life. During his hospitalization, he created an extensive artistic universe, which today is considered among the most significant works within Danish outsider art.

Working with everything from paintings and sculptures to figures made from materials such as toothpaste tubes, cardboard and tin foil, Ovartaci's works revolve around identity, gender, spirituality and reincarnation, offering a rare glimpse into an artist who used creativity to shape his own worldview.

Traces from the Psychiatric Hospital in Risskov

Museum Ovartaci has maintained a close connection to its history. Several of the museum's rooms are furnished with original building parts from the former Psychiatric Hospital in Risskov, so visitors get an impression of the surroundings where patients and staff lived for many years.

The original surroundings make the story more present. Here you will gain insight into the development of psychiatry, previous forms of treatment and the human stories that have unfolded behind the hospital walls. At the same time, the museum shows how the view of mental illness and treatment has changed over time.

Jonna Pedersen - Ovartaci exhibition - Being human

The open workshop with a free space for creativity

Museum Ovartaci also houses an active workshop where people with a psychiatric background work with art and creative expression in a disease-neutral environment. The focus here is not on diagnoses, but on the individual person and the creative process.

The workshop is an important part of the museum's identity, demonstrating how art can be a tool for expressing thoughts, feelings and experiences. At the same time, it gives visitors an insight into a vibrant community where creativity continues to be a part of everyday life.

365 days in a bag LARS HUG Museum Ovartaci

Frequently Asked Questions about Ovartaci

Opening hours at Museum Ovartaci

The museum is open every day of the week, so you always have the opportunity to experience the art and history. From Monday to Wednesday and on Friday the doors are open from 10:00 to 17:00. On Thursdays they are open in the evening until 20:00, while on weekends and holidays they welcome you from 12:00 to 17:00.

Contact and personal guidance

If you have any questions about your tour or visit, you can contact them by phone at 41 85 62 90. They are available every weekday from 10:00 to 13:00. You are also very welcome to send an email to museum@ovartaci.dk if you prefer written contact.

Parking at the Bunkeren Cultural Center

You will find free parking spaces for cars just north of Kulturhus Bunkeren, where the museum is located. There is no time limit on your parking, and there are also four specific spaces with charging stations for electric cars. They have also reserved three parking spaces for disabled parking close to the entrance to ensure easy access for all guests.

Easy access by public transport

It is easy to get to the museum from Aarhus city center by either bus or light rail. You can take Light Rail L2 and get off at Nehrus Allé, or use city bus line 6a, which stops at Olof Palmes Allé. Both stops are just a few minutes' walk from the museum entrance.

Find on Google maps

Stories from Museum Ovartaci

At Aarhus Inside we follow Museum Ovartaci closely and cover both the permanent exhibitions and the changing special exhibitions. Here you will find articles about Ovartaci's life and art, the history of psychiatry and the artists who today help to put new perspectives on the museum's stories, including Lars HUG and other contemporary artists.

Our articles go a step deeper than the classic museum review. We look at the people behind the works, the stories behind the exhibitions and the themes that make Museum Ovartaci one of Aarhus' most thought-provoking cultural venues. Here you can learn more before you visit the museum, or immerse yourself in the experiences you've already had.

O for Óscar – The Line that Holds the World at Museum Ovartaci_4038

Óscar Morales Martínez: Art, Systems and Inner Worlds

Enter the colorful universe of Chilean artist Óscar Morales Martínez, where detailed drawings, invented machines, and personal symbols tell stories about life, imagination, and the inner world of man. The exhibition ends with an invitation to contribute a drawing that will be sent all the way to the artist in Chile.

See more from the exhibition

Being Human: An Artistic Dialogue Across Time

Twelve contemporary artists take Ovartaci's life and art as their starting point in the special exhibition Being Human. Explore paintings, sculptures, sound works and installations where identity, freedom and humanity are interpreted through widely different artistic expressions. Start with Museum Ovartaci's permanent collection and you'll get even more out of the experience.

See more from the exhibition

Lars HUG at Museum Ovartaci: 365 Days in a Bag

Shopping bags, receipts and everyday materials are transformed into colorful works in Lars HUG's special exhibition 365 Days in a Bag. The exhibition fills the space with energy, humor and creative freedom, and in several places you are invited to leave your mark. A playful experience where the process is just as important as the result.

See more from the exhibition

Ovartaci: A visionary journey through art and life

Take a tour of Museum Ovartaci's permanent exhibition and get closer to the artist behind the name. Here you will encounter the homemade helicopter, the figures with candy stamps, the collection of poems hidden in a doll and the art created from sardine cans and tin. It is a story about a person who created his own universe and continued to create, even when the framework tried to set limits.

See more from the exhibition