Photo: Andreas Holmby
MAPS – Museum of Art in Public Spaces – is a museum, a workshop, and a platform. We hold a unique collection of more than 19,000 preparatory works for both realized and unrealized art projects in public spaces. At the same time, MAPS is a living place where new ideas, collaborations, and conversations are constantly taking shape. That is why we engage actively in research and education, participate in international networks, and work closely with artists, scholars, and local communities. We believe that art in public spaces can bring people together, open up new questions, and spark change – and we want to make that happen with you.
In January 2025, we took an important step into the future by changing our name to MAPS – Museum of Art in Public Spaces. With this new name, we aim to embrace a broader, more global present while staying true to our core: to be a place where art in public spaces is not only shown, but also explored, developed, and experienced collectively. MAPS is both a map of where we have been and a compass pointing toward new horizons. At the same time, we opened our major flagship exhibition The Story of Public Art, which over several years invites you to experience works by more than 90 artists from over 40 countries.
Before then, many knew us as KØS – Museum of Art in Public Spaces. And it was under this name, between 2009 and 2025, that the museum truly shifted its focus toward international contemporary art and the many ways art unfolds in dialogue with people and society.
Our roots, however, go back even further. In 1977, we were founded as Køge Skitsesamling in the old Brochmann’s School in the heart of Køge. Back then, our purpose was to reveal what usually remains hidden: the sketches, models, and preparatory work behind art in public spaces – to tell the story of art’s journey from idea to reality. That legacy is still with us today. But now, we invite you not only to witness the making of art – we invite you to take part in it.
Research
Research is a cornerstone of MAPS’ mission and identity.
We are a museum dedicated to presenting, commissioning, and co-developing art that critically explores what public space is, was, and could become. Through academically rigorous inquiry and practice-based methodologies, we aim to challenge conventional thinking and advance public art as a field.
MAPS supports research that redefines the role of public art — in Denmark and beyond. We act as a platform for examining how art in public spaces intersects with wider cultural, political, and social dynamics, while staying rooted in art-historical analysis and contemporary curatorial thinking.
Our research is deeply embedded in the museum’s curatorial programs, commissions, and community initiatives. These projects provide fertile ground for exploring urgent themes such as:
- Play as a key to experimenting with and reimagining public space
- Courage to think big as art transforms our shared urban and landscape spaces
- Cultural heritage and the shaping of European identity
- Ocean ecologies and climate-conscious practices in place-making
By bridging theory and practice, MAPS fosters dialogue between artists, scholars, urbanists, and the public.
SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION
We actively engage in cross-disciplinary research partnerships, both nationally and internationally. These include:
- Co-authored publications
- Interdisciplinary residencies
- Symposia and conferences
- Experimental formats for knowledge sharing
MAPS welcomes collaboration with universities, non-profit organizations, museums, and art institutions that share our commitment to critical research in public art.
PHD & POSTDOC OPPORTUNITIES
We are open to discussing PhD and PostDoc research projects that align with the museum’s research strategy and curatorial vision.
For inquiries, please contact:
Malene Natasha Ratcliffe, Director, mnr@mapsmuseum.com
Irene Campolmi, Senior Curator & Researcher, ic@mapsmuseum.com
Collection
MAPS collects, registers, and preserves the material and digital traces of public art projects to ensure they are maintained for future generations and accessible to the present. The collection consists of over 18,000 unique sketches, models, and preparatory works for art in public spaces, along with an archive documenting processes and discussions surrounding the art. The museum’s collection and registration practices bridge the gap between the artistic preparatory works and the archive’s documentation of processes, events, and interactions involving art in public spaces and its engagement with citizens, situations, and contexts in different public spaces.
The museum’s acquisitions focus on expanding and strengthening the collection with significant works and projects that have influenced the development of the field of public art, both nationally and internationally with emphasis on works situated in urban and landscape settings.
Press
Here you will find press materials for use in connection with coverage of MAPS exhibitions.
For further information and inquiries regarding photos, please contact:
Marketing and Communications Manager
Karoline Graugaard Boisen
+45 31 32 96 69
klgb@mapsmuseum.com
Communications Intern
Viktor Møller,
v.m@mapsmuseum.com
Download MAPS logos here.
THE STORY OF PUBLIC ART
MAPS – Museum of Art in Public Spaces opened its largest international exhibition to date, The Story of Public Art, on March 22, 2025.
The exhibition tells the story of groundbreaking artistic experiments in public spaces from 1960 to the present day. The Story of Public Art presents 90 artists from 40 countries in an organic and dynamic exhibition format that will evolve throughout the four-year exhibition period.
Download the latest press material here:
Contact
info@mapsmuseum.com / +45 56 67 60 20
Director
Malene Natascha Ratcliffe,
mnr@mapsmuseum.com
PA to the Director
Emilie Marie Pedersen,
emp@mapsmuseum.com / +45 53 89 38 88
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Head of Finance and Administration
Marie Sloth,
ms@caso-aps.dk
COLLECTION, EXHIBITIONS & PROGRAM
Head of Collections and Production
Ieva Ose,
io@mapsmuseum.com
Senior Curator
Kit Leunbach,
kl@mapsmuseum.com / +45 24 90 20 77
Senior Curator
Irene Campolmi,
ic@mapsmuseum.com / +45 28 69 73 37
Membership and Event Coordinator
Lis Ella Fruervang,
lef@mapsmuseum.com
Exhibition Intern
Alfred Emil Tidemand Stigfeldt,
as@mapsmuseum.com
THE STATUE LANDSCAPE IN DENMARK
Project Manager
Sara Sønderskov Ravn,
ss@mapsmuseum.com / +45 31 31 90 91
Registrar and Project Assistant
Camilla Holm Rautenberg,
chr@mapsmuseum.com / +45 31 62 35 62
Editor and Planner / Freelance
Karina Lykkesborg,
kln@mapsmuseum.com / +45 28 93 06 16
COLLABORATION & CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS
Head of Partnerships and Engagement
Gunnar Munksgaard,
gm@mapsmuseum.com / +45 53 89 35 55
Development Coordinator
Emilie Marie Pedersen,
emp@mapsmuseum.com / +45 53 89 38 88
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Head of Marketing and Communications
Karoline Graugaard Boisen,
klgb@mapsmuseum.com / +45 31 32 96 69
Communications Intern
Viktor Møller,
v.m@mapsmuseum.com
Web editor
Nina Nørreby,
nn@mapsmuseum.com
LEARNING & GUIDED TOURS
Head of Education and Guided Tours
Sofie Andreassen,
san@mapsmusem.com / +45 31 56 11 11
Educators and Guides
Carl Willer Daverkosen
Hannah Teplin
Marie Skousen
Mie Schlüter Nielsen
MUSEUM HOSTS
Chief Custodian
Jesper Wrisberg,
jw@mapsmuseum.com
Hosts
Asta Holm-Petersen
Carl Willer Daverkosen
Clara Rosenkrands
Hannah Teplin
Marie Skousen
Otto Uno Jasmund Eilersen
Sine Demime Eda Demirhan
William Nielsen
CAFÉ
Café Manager
Sara Sønderskov Ravn,
ss@mapsmuseum.com / +45 31 31 90 91
Café Staff
Alfrida Victoria Marker
Clara Rosenkrands
Josefine Specht Helmo
Sine Demime Eda Demirhan
Ulla Blædel
William Nielsen
Organisation
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The MAPS Board brings together professionals from the fields of art, culture, business, and politics, who collectively contribute to the museum’s strategic development and its engagement on both local and international levels.
CHAIRPERSON
Christen Obel Economist (University of Copenhagen). Christen Obel has extensive professional experience as a director and programme manager within both public and private sectors.
BOARD MEMBERS
Marie Stærke Mayor for the Social Democratic Party in Køge Municipality. Holds a BA in History from the University of Copenhagen.
Christina Capetillo Danish visual artist and architect working at the intersection of architecture, landscape, and photography.
Jan Poul Crilles Tønnesen State Authorised Public Accountant and Partner at Grant Thornton.
Louise Vigand Kryger Attorney at Partner Advokater.
Mette Jorsø City Councillor for the Danish Social Liberal Party (Radikale Venstre) in Køge Municipality.
DIRECTOR
Malene Natascha Ratcliffe was appointed Director of MAPS in April 2025. With both a strategic and artistic vision, she is leading and developing MAPS into a museum that collects, connects, and opens new worlds – locally, nationally, internationally, and digitally.
With over two decades of experience in international contemporary art and art in public space, she has led major international collaborations and site-specific projects.
