Ole Faarup (1934–2025) was a revered Danish collector, having shaped one of the world’s most important collections of contemporary art. His passion began in the 1960s while working for Georg Jensen in New York, where lunchtime visits to MoMA sparked a fascination with contemporary artists like Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Back in Denmark in the 1970s, Faarup built a successful furniture and design business, 3 Falke, while continuing to collect. He initially focused on Danish artists such as Per Kirkeby, Ejler Bille, Sonja Ferlov Mancoba and Asger Jorn, later expanding to an international roster of young talent. His home became a modern Kunstkammer — a living space where art and life coexisted. Faarup collected with intuition and curiosity, acquiring works early in artists’ careers and constantly evolving his collection to reflect the present moment and embrace bold new voices.

The Ole Faarup Art Foundation was established as the legacy of the collector, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the story of Faarup’s remarkable collector journey. The Foundation is dedicated to helping both emerging and established artists by placing their work in museums and public collections around the world. A special focus for the Foundation is to support young Danish artists, including those from the Faroe Islands and Greenland, as well as young international artists by bringing their work into Danish collections.