The Nivaagaard Collection awarded
Green Attraction eco-label
The Nivaagaard Collection is the first museum in Zealand to be awarded the Green Attraction eco-label, which places the museum among experience attractions that make a special effort to protect nature and meet a wide range of criteria for environmentally friendly operations.
Small art museum - great responsibility
The Nivaagaard Collection aims to be a sustainable and socially responsible museum.
The course is set – welcome on the journey!
In the widest possible extent we take responsibility for reducing the operational climate footprint we leave on our planet. And we communicate insights into humanity's ability to adapt and evolve through immersion, reflection, and supportive communities to our guests and employees.
The Nivaagaard Collection's sustainability efforts are rooted in the museum's founder Johannes Hage's focus on mental health and art's soothing effect on the soul in natural surroundings. With the new art education initiative Artfulness, the museum is striving to boost young people's mental wellbeing, while community building events at the museum and the scenic surroundings aim to inspire guests across generations towards sustainable behavior.
Environmental policy
With the ambitious climate renovation in 2021, The Nivaagaard Collection established a geothermal heating system, which converted the energy supply from fossil fuels to sustainable geothermal energy, capable of both heating and cooling the air in the exhibition halls. The museum received new skylights that improve the properties of the building shell, LED lighting throughout the premises and new, efficient ventilation ducts. Since then, we have implemented several environmental initiatives ranging from waste sorting to reviewing several new procedures for the museum, café and shop.
We are aware that with a sustainable mindset, we have a common purpose towards achieving a greener environment, but we are constantly evolving - and it’s a never-ending goal. As a responsible art museum, we protect the environment, nature and sustainability when we:
- conserve natural resources.
- strive to minimise the environmental impact of our business.
- continuously explore new information and technology to ensure increased environmental protection.
- launch initiatives and use products that save energy and water.
- inspire employees and guests on how to care for the environment.
- ensure a high level of recycling and waste reduction.
- encourage our suppliers to meet our environmental standards.
- at all times follow theGreen Attractions criteria.
We welcome all visitors to join us on our journey!
A sustainable mindset
The founder of the museum was convinced of a special connection between people, art and nature:
“Seeing art in natural surroundings without any distractions is healthy and stimulating for the mind.”
Johannes Hage, 1908
The Nivaagaard Collection’s core values are generosity, presence and life, and the museum aims to serve as a cultural meeting place that inspires visitors of all ages to reflect on their lives among 500 years of visual art.
We view inner sustainability, the inside of sustainability, as a prerequisite for a sustainable mindset. It is inherent to us and deeply rooted in the museums DNA to incorporate mental health and mental wellbeing into every part of the museum and that we take a social responsibility. Nature and our relationship with nature is often a key part of the storytelling in our exhibitions and events, and we take pride in the museums community spirit rooted in our corps of 70 volunteers and events that includes people of all ages eg. communal singing and dining, handicraft circles, and nature walks in our sanctuary of endangered words.
In our programmes for schools, we are currently exploring a new art education initiative called Artfulness, which aims to boost young people’s mental well-being. The project is supported by the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces' grant for the development of sustainable initiatives at museums in Denmark.
Nature and biodiversity have been a focal point of our collaboration with artist Danh Vo on the Station Garden, which began in 2021 under the auspices of Danh Vo presents: A garden over time - and a potato field. By acquiring the empty plot of land near Nivå Station, the museum wanted to reaffirm its anchoring in and connection to the city - not with a traditional sculpture, but with a piece of land that will change over time.
Do you have an idea for how museums can become better at working with sustainability?
Then send an email to Luuna Frost: lf@nivaagaard.dk
