BABEL

BABEL is an artist-run exhibition space for contemporary art in Trondheim, founded by the artists at LKV in 2006. Since its inception, we have presented a wide range of exhibitions featuring artists from around the world. We aim to be a platform for art that emerges directly from the artists’ own visions, without external directives.

From 2006 to 2024, BABEL was located in a former retail space at Mellomveien 4, a satellite just 200 meters down the street from LKV. On October 24, 2025, BABEL will open the doors to our newly constructed premises in the former gymnasium at LKV. With an exhibition space of 100 m², six-meter-high ceilings, and excellent lighting conditions, we will have the opportunity to present art on a larger scale and in more complex formats. The move also brings all of LKV’s functions together in one place: the artist studios, the workshops, the artist-in-residence program with its four apartments, and BABEL as a public exhibition space.

Our exhibition program is based on open calls and peer review. Artists evaluate each other, and the program is curated based on artistic quality, without any commercial considerations. This allows for a wide diversity of expressions and perspectives and ensures that each exhibition can remain as close as possible to the artist’s own vision. For us, it is important to nurture the autonomy of artists and to create a space where experimentation and artistic freedom are central.

As a visitor, you encounter contemporary art on the artists’ own terms. We want BABEL to be a platform where people can experience, reflect on, and discuss art in an open and accessible way. With our new premises, we have an especially strong foundation to continue and develop this role—as a clear voice for the artist’s perspective and as a place where the public can engage with art in an unfiltered way.