A museum dedicated to the Danish sculptor Sonja Ferlov Mancoba, who lived from 1911 to 1984, is set to be built near Bornholm’s Art Museum by Helligdomsklipperne (the Sanctuary Cliffs). The museum, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando in collaboration with Arkitema, aims to showcase Ferlov Mancoba’s organic surrealism against the backdrop of the Bornholm cliff landscape.

The museum project has been in development for years, facing challenges in finding the right location. The final plan places Ando’s pavilion east of the art museum, in an area previously designated as a “sculpture landscape.”

Interest in Sonja Ferlov Mancoba and her art has grown in recent years. In 2019, the National Gallery of Denmark held a large retrospective exhibition that later traveled to the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The exhibition attracted notable visitors, including France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, and the Danish Queen Mary. Author Hanne Vibeke Holst published a biographical novel in 2022, further cementing the artist’s place in Danish literature. In 2024, King Frederik prominently displayed a Sonja Ferlov Mancoba sculpture during his first New Year’s address. The Bucerius Kunstforum in Hamburg also showcased an exhibition of her works in 2025.

Born into a wealthy family in Charlottenlund, Sonja Ferlov Mancoba discovered her passion for art early on. She attended the School of Arts and Crafts, where she connected with the surrealist movement in Denmark through Ejler Bille. A trip to Bornholm in 1935 inspired her first sculpture experiments using found objects, aligning with surrealist principles. In Paris, she met and married South African artist Ernest Mancoba in 1942. Despite facing financial difficulties for much of her life, she created a unique artistic vision, influenced by African art and her involvement in the Cobra movement.

Tadao Ando, the architect behind the museum, is known for his quiet and reflective designs. His “Punta della Dogana” museum in Venice is celebrated for its sensitive building intervention. The Sonja Ferlov Mancoba museum is envisioned as a circular pavilion with organically shaped concrete walls, harmonizing with the surrounding landscape. The project is led by Sonja Ferlov Mancoba’s gallery owner, Mikael Andersen, who has long championed her work.