Gruvene skulpturpark English

For several centuries, Torbjørnsbu gruver were among the most important iron mines in the country. After mining operations ceased, the area was forgotten and used as a waste dump. With Gruvene skulpturpark at Torbjørnsbu gruver, Bomuldsfabriken seeks both to bring this powerful open-pit mine back from oblivion and to establish a public space where visitors can move through a landscape of art and cultural history. We wish to show how older cultural and industrial history can be combined with new artistic expressions, and in this way help shape a new awareness of the site, the art and the cultural history.

Gruvene skulpturpark and Torbjørnsbu gruver are accessed from the third floor of Bomuldsfabriken and are open to the public from spring to autumn, depending on weather and conditions.

The sculpture park is continually expanding and, as of spring 2026, comprises a total of 10 works. The first sculpture, Dyret by Bård Breivik, was installed even before the mines opened to the public in 2018. Over time, it has been joined by several site-specific works, all of which relate to the site or its history in their own way.