Michael “Micke” Manasse is a former record label executive who runs this gallery on Frogner in Oslo.
(art with a) PURPOSE focuses on “material culture” – displaying posters, flyers, photos, records, magazines, books, and other music memorabilia. The name reflects the concept that posters historically served a purpose beyond decoration – they conveyed information, from war rations to political campaigns. Micke got the name suggestion from Gill Saunders, Senior Curator of Prints at Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The gallery operates essentially as a passion project – Micke acknowledges it’s “a losing proposition” financially, but it’s what’s most meaningful to him. He occasionally sells items to finance new purchases and gallery operations.
This is a unique Oslo cultural space focusing on music history, graphic design, and the intersection of art and popular culture!
