Museum Jorn's history dates back to 1940 when the Silkeborg and Omegn Museum Association made its first acquisitions of art. In 1951, a single room in the local history museum in Silkeborg (
Silkeborg Museum) was converted to hold modern art. In 1961 the museum opened an exhibition at the premises of a school building in Silkeborg, and in 1965 the independent institution Silkeborg Museum of Art was founded. In 1973 the museum took over the whole school building, where the museum was housed until 1982. At the anniversary of Asger Jorn's birthday, on March 3, 1982, Silkeborg Museum of Art moved to a newly built complex of buildings on an 8,000 m2 site near the river
Gudenåen. The building was designed by the architect
Niels Frithiof Truelsen and was inspired by the studio
Constantin Brâncuși in front of
Centre Pompidou in Paris.{{cite web|url= https://www.kulturarv.dk/kid/VisWeilbach.do?kunstnerId=11108&wsektion=alle |title= Niels Frithiof Truelsen|website= Kunstindeks Danmark & Weilbach Kunstnerleksikon Because of the museum's large international collection, own acquisitions, and artists’ and collectors' donations the premises were inadequate. This resulted in an extension that was inaugurated in 1998. The extension was also designed by Niels Frithiof Truelsen. Thereby, the exhibition area was increased to 3,200 m2 along with a daylight free gallery in the basement for exhibition of works on paper. In 2010 the museum underwent a major renovation and changed its name to
Museum Jorn, Silkeborg. A modern
Cobra Forum was designed so that visitors now can immerse themselves in the museum's extensive research material on and by Asger Jorn in electronic media and in books. With the reopening and change of name it is highlighted that the museum will continue to challenge its current role. The many new initiatives are part of the strategy to respond to Jorn's vision for the museum and to promote the artist who is considered to be Denmark's most significant in the 20th century. == Collections ==