![](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_01.jpg?w=2048&h=1367&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016363&s=8690cb92a01c00335b2c53f37492012e 2048w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_01.jpg?w=1920&h=1281&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016363&s=6dceffcab793f75996f60eb5e0dd9bb4 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_01.jpg?w=1536&h=1025&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016363&s=ad9c0ec6119c2bc028f3de1db7a13bb0 1536w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_01.jpg?w=1280&h=854&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016363&s=e52261c99dca90a0fd6997721ec5d437 1280w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_01.jpg?w=1024&h=683&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016363&s=3a2f280d0649475b00d84804e3a0e67c 1024w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_01.jpg?w=768&h=512&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016363&s=598c3006b3aaa868d96fccb5007e5e3b 768w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_01.jpg?w=512&h=341&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016363&s=c942b267e8a7445e9e13fa629a87071f 512w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_01.jpg?w=256&h=170&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016363&s=f739c01b5d0a05f59e2c39a5c8f1b2da 256w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_01.jpg?w=128&h=85&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016363&s=39b7c8de537ff40d815d9a9ca8289282 128w)
Portrait of Rolf Hoff and Venke Hoff at KaviarFactory in Lofoten
Photo by Dagmara Wojtanowicz
How do you distinguish between KaviarFactory, and museums and kunsthalls in Norway? Does KaviarFactory occupy a different position?
When KaviarFactory opened in 2013 our aim was simply to show contemporary art on a high international level in a small fisherman’s village above the Arctic Circle. We never set out to open a kunsthall, but when the old and abandoned caviar factory was put up for sale, we felt that the building belonged to the art world. We already had a holiday place in the same village, where we had been running an unofficial artist residency program, since we bought it in 1997. Turning the run-down factory into a space for contemporary art felt like the natural next step.
Being private we are not as restricted in the same way that many kunsthalls and museums are. We can continue to buy young and unknown artists, as we have always done. As an example, when we first bought an installation by Marguerite Humeau in 2015, we could move quickly. For us, it is a discussion over dinner, and not a decision to be made by a committee. We have the freedom to act on instinct and take risks.
![](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/27_0429.jpg?w=2048&h=1365&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016810&s=2b37f01dae8e2b31c9251cdba3d103ca 2048w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/27_0429.jpg?w=1920&h=1280&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016810&s=7d7b15ddb65c02b68aca311a18d26200 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/27_0429.jpg?w=1536&h=1024&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016810&s=ee84075b591d54702f187561ec8c54d2 1536w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/27_0429.jpg?w=1280&h=853&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016810&s=dd8894af8502f1689db17fed21baf15d 1280w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/27_0429.jpg?w=1024&h=682&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016810&s=0aca40ad18cd2c837671f022478a709f 1024w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/27_0429.jpg?w=768&h=512&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016810&s=11f99ece306509bdb827522e5158aeb8 768w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/27_0429.jpg?w=512&h=341&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016810&s=7007219ff4c4abebdfecb2659551d69e 512w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/27_0429.jpg?w=256&h=170&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016810&s=6699314f0dc23227c25b5e5a6df6012a 256w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/27_0429.jpg?w=128&h=85&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016810&s=4def02230364ce9f48929b620b183047 128w)
Ai Weiwei at KaviarFactory, 2021-22, installation view
Courtesy of the artist and KaviarFactory
What role do private collectors play in helping to build the collections of public museums in Norway?
Very little, if any. In the few cases where public museums in Norway reach out to private collectors, it seems quite random. There seems to be very little interest from the public museums in Norway to collaborate with collectors. The dialogue is almost non-existent.
In the cases where we lend out art to public museums in Norway, the request usually comes from the artist or the gallerist. There seems to be very little interest from public museums to find out what we have in our collection or if we have seen anything exciting recently. It’s a shame because collectors love to share.
![](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_21.jpg?w=2048&h=1367&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016703&s=b79167d936cd6d5c4344c64ad0ab13a1 2048w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_21.jpg?w=1920&h=1281&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016703&s=0ba5f92c983f97763a66a73a736415a1 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_21.jpg?w=1536&h=1025&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016703&s=59e5dd76fed1c61b5a72e7e89e46dc3e 1536w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_21.jpg?w=1280&h=854&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016703&s=c8900787c5f3b55e0ec7d1971818b9b4 1280w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_21.jpg?w=1024&h=683&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016703&s=5485cd9d657df072344b1417179f70fc 1024w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_21.jpg?w=768&h=512&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016703&s=eba88c0dd5407b32178fb07b1a408a97 768w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_21.jpg?w=512&h=341&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016703&s=130b9840e83d46838204a77fa3896857 512w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_21.jpg?w=256&h=170&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016703&s=aad737adb56ecde8be41003f707e7b69 256w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/fot.-Dagmara-Wojtanowicz_KaviarFactory_21.jpg?w=128&h=85&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016703&s=2f2a2ff6964f09881a6d77f351515386 128w)
Venke Hoff and Rolf Hoff standing with a sculpture by Marguerite Humeau
Photo by Dagmara Wojtanowicz
Do you notice a difference in the relationship between collectors and museums in Norway, compared to the US for example?
We have little knowledge about how it works in the US, but there seems to be a big difference just between Norway and Denmark. As far as we know, there is a much closer relationship between private collectors and public museums in Denmark. In Norway it seems there is a reluctance for public museums to work with anything that is private. It’s sad because in the end, everyone loses out, the artist, the public and the museums.
The public museums in Norway seem to have very little interest about what is happening outside their walls. To give an example, when we had an exhibition by Ai Weiwei and curators from the National Museum spent a full day in Henningsvær, they did not walk the 100 meters to see the exhibition.
![](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_K6A0423.jpg?w=2048&h=1365&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706099777&s=51214e7ef82a04c7495ebbb8820e4ef0 2048w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_K6A0423.jpg?w=1920&h=1280&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706099777&s=85a95df9e0765b108bc36b61cddebfb4 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_K6A0423.jpg?w=1536&h=1024&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706099777&s=fc9ceca57fd801a35237e5b141037614 1536w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_K6A0423.jpg?w=1280&h=853&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706099777&s=9baaeb3c21576cc4c90275b70bc1c90b 1280w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_K6A0423.jpg?w=1024&h=682&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706099777&s=896cc120a3a5c490255532bf15119e56 1024w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_K6A0423.jpg?w=768&h=512&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706099777&s=fb18e65de12634afc35c18b67a721296 768w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_K6A0423.jpg?w=512&h=341&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706099777&s=2ac6a597ce4bf9f42f6d3b6de4e168be 512w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_K6A0423.jpg?w=256&h=170&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706099777&s=67d6a22ffff9e074018dd3c911338714 256w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_K6A0423.jpg?w=128&h=85&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706099777&s=fd64f204a1a3353c50ba8373ccc58e6b 128w)
Creation of a Moment, 2019-21, installation view
Courtesy of the artist and KaviarFactory
It seems that you have played an important role in bringing works by New York-based artists to the Nordic region. Is there a special connection between Norway and New York?
We do not believe there is a special connection, but New York has always had a great art scene. Funnily enough, most of the art we have bought in New York is actually not American, and the American art in our collection we have mainly bought in Europe. For instance we were the first in Norway to buy both Josh Smith and Alex Hubbard. Since neither of them had exhibited in Scandinavia, we had to travel to make new discoveries.
Regarding bringing artists to the Nordic region, we have had an unofficial artist in residence program for 25 years in Lofoten. Max Hooper Schneider stayed there in 2022.
![](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/2L1A3049.jpg?w=1536&h=2257&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017654&s=e24d2c6fcad335a9a742c1d77d12705d 1536w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/2L1A3049.jpg?w=1280&h=1881&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017654&s=1fc373cd0b6a085ac1fb6b803b16eeff 1280w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/2L1A3049.jpg?w=1024&h=1504&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017654&s=6438d5aed63f9ad28197c12ffffa99c0 1024w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/2L1A3049.jpg?w=768&h=1128&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017654&s=c9cdcbf4441b303528fd1506d9fed784 768w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/2L1A3049.jpg?w=512&h=752&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017654&s=ec4f3e07461597abf94bceccf2a07a3e 512w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/2L1A3049.jpg?w=256&h=376&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017654&s=caafc955b924e84922d57f28b10f8672 256w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/2L1A3049.jpg?w=128&h=188&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017654&s=0887a24e01f164189a2b15f937263445 128w)
Ai Weiwei at KaviarFactory, 2021-22, installation view
Courtesy of the artist and KaviarFactory
Could you talk a little bit about some of the high profile artists you have collaborated with at KaviarFactory, perhaps thinking specifically about Ai Weiwei and Yoko Ono for example?
We had an exhibition by Ai Weiwei in 2021-2022, a solo exhibition he was personally very involved in, which included new works and a site-specific work that will never be shown again. After a meeting and lunch in Berlin, we shook hands and things started rolling. Then Covid happened and the world got a little crazy. Ai Weiwei extended the duration of exhibition from 3 to 15 months. He was incredibly generous and patient.
The Yoko Ono collaboration happened through our long time relationship with Luise Faurschou. For 6 weeks, the message “I love you” was sent through Yoko Ono’s own code consisting of a series of light flashes: “I” (1 blink) “love” (2 blinks) “you” (3 blinks) to the entire world. In the winter darkness it was a spectacular sight, that was also streamed from her website.
We also streamed another project when we collaborated with Michael Sailstorfer in 2019. 3 sculptural tears formed from salt were installed on a reef just outside KaviarFactory. It was streamed from us to a simultaneous exhibition of the artist’s work at Perrotin in New York. Michael has had several residences, and he is responsible for our façade sign and logo. He took the “ART” out of “KAVIARFACTORY,” as it is written in the sign.
![](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/YokoOno.jpg?w=1280&h=816&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016923&s=e754b10f57795dcf79fc7b6d7a67d1c9 1280w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/YokoOno.jpg?w=1024&h=652&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016923&s=89356af893d77d5a4251c6d96dee53c9 1024w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/YokoOno.jpg?w=768&h=489&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016923&s=b2109728be08e9b32be105d1a9f4ccbe 768w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/YokoOno.jpg?w=512&h=326&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016923&s=c49b16aeab0c3335943bb107c502de3e 512w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/YokoOno.jpg?w=256&h=163&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016923&s=97023a4017e737c96dd62ec2edca0f35 256w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/YokoOno.jpg?w=128&h=81&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706016923&s=8aa70cd5bf01d80c9dbd1d793b110466 128w)
Yoko Ono, ONOCHORD (lighthouse), 2018, Henningsvær Lighthouse, Lofoten, Norway
Courtesy of the artist and KaviarFactory
How do you think about the legacy of your collection? I have read that your children play an active role in the programming at KaviarFactory, do you imagine them inheriting the collection in its entirety?
We never set out to build a collection, we were just interested in art. So when we were first asked to exhibit our collection in 1998, that was also when we realised that we had a collection. That was also the same year that we bought our first international piece at ARCO Madrid. Since then, we have been more a part of the international art world than the Norwegian. That is perhaps why we titled the exhibition ‘Expanding Frontiers’ when we exhibited part of our collection in Paris in 2016.
If there is a legacy, I hope it will be related to our love and passion for art. We were collectors by heart, and not by ears. We also never used advisors, so the collection is completely formed by us. We also have a passion for sharing, so perhaps that will be our legacy.
What will happen with the collection in the future is not something we have given much thought to. As for now, we are more focused on upcoming projects and exhibitions.
![](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_L1A1976.jpg?w=1536&h=2304&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706197161&s=ec41a27b14910f1f103a2c9eb5c5bae6 1536w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_L1A1976.jpg?w=1280&h=1920&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706197161&s=e9840e13f61c98837ec8c578710b3e0c 1280w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_L1A1976.jpg?w=1024&h=1536&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706197161&s=a91caa0271838ae9fbcc7c8474c8f0d5 1024w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_L1A1976.jpg?w=768&h=1152&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706197161&s=c910e3e6bf2653e01c761bb02d3cd343 768w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_L1A1976.jpg?w=512&h=768&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706197161&s=47ff141b068c13001d338ac662818e6a 512w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_L1A1976.jpg?w=256&h=384&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706197161&s=d30559f55fc6dfbbbfeb50699805d2b1 256w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-_L1A1976.jpg?w=128&h=192&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706197161&s=e381e6532c6422bff7be3d2527ecdec8 128w)
Creation of a Moment, 2019-21, installation view
Courtesy of the artist and KaviarFactory
"For us, [collecting] is a discussion over dinner, and not a decision to be made by a committee. We have the freedom to act on instinct and take risks."
Art Collectors and Founders of KaviarFactory
![](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/RolfVenke1.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017323&s=37444202a7b390db90a752cd4076f50e 1536w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/RolfVenke1.jpg?w=1280&h=1600&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017323&s=3062286e31d843ad3eabf1fbeb52fac9 1280w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/RolfVenke1.jpg?w=1024&h=1280&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017323&s=ac6fc3b07baef1a21fde46338a528e48 1024w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/RolfVenke1.jpg?w=768&h=960&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017323&s=a9c5c7c70c8258df62239e581c1de729 768w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/RolfVenke1.jpg?w=512&h=640&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017323&s=4bb069ed0f154d912c96c2e9d8493011 512w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/RolfVenke1.jpg?w=256&h=320&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017323&s=b26d68b0b9b56aa31b35835d75e0a25d 256w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/RolfVenke1.jpg?w=128&h=160&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017323&s=e56527fb3a795a147cad29cfaa6b259d 128w)
Venke Hoff and Rolf Hoff are art collectors based in Oslo, Norway. Their collection, The Hoff Collection, is one of the most established in the Nordic region. In 2013 they opened 'KaviarFactory,' an exhibition space in Lofoten in Northern Norway that has exhibited works from The Hoff Collection as well as site-specific projects by such established artists as Ai Weiwei, Yoko Ono and Bjarne Melgaard.
Photo by Dagmara Wojtanowicz
![](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-2L1A3075.jpg?w=2048&h=1365&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017120&s=3d8df123b737fdb2f1461508527ed644 2048w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-2L1A3075.jpg?w=1920&h=1280&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017120&s=3af22476849aabafeb2e3326eaf2a91c 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-2L1A3075.jpg?w=1536&h=1024&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017120&s=2381637b6c7357165ea56eca2427340a 1536w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-2L1A3075.jpg?w=1280&h=853&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017120&s=482e2b3d7d256b1175c3d837fb3784a5 1280w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-2L1A3075.jpg?w=1024&h=682&q=82&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017120&s=ee353094ed67dddc1d7ab5b1f7567b78 1024w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-2L1A3075.jpg?w=768&h=512&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017120&s=efa82a0624ea62916b3980a9ee7e9bef 768w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-2L1A3075.jpg?w=512&h=341&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017120&s=63de7d1eae41ce63697e49badb49e2ac 512w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-2L1A3075.jpg?w=256&h=170&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017120&s=37c2f8d9b68cdca066b5d1a1b651562b 256w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/fluffy-tenrec/production/Sm-2L1A3075.jpg?w=128&h=85&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1706017120&s=fcdf93f08512e7315a2201a4ff7eb6b7 128w)
Ai Weiwei at KaviarFactory, 2021-22, installation view
Courtesy of the artist and KaviarFactory