Statens Kunstutstilling has existed for 125 years, and the stage is set for an anniversary. Seen in relation to the social upheavals that have occurred during this time span, it is fantastic that the exhibition has existed for so long. Høstutstillingen was created after inspiration from the salons in Paris in the 1880s and as a protest against art exhibitions initiated by civil servants and citizens without professional expertise. It has gradually developed as times have changed, but the right to free submission and artistic assessment has remained constant.

- Hilde Rognskog, Chair of Norske Billedkunstnere, 2012

Høstutstillingen is Norway's oldest artist-run arena for contemporary art, and was first organized in 1882. It is the origin of the artists' trade association in Norway, today Norske Billedkunstnere (NBK). As an annual national art gathering, the exhibition has been supported by the state since 1884, but run by the artists themselves according to the principle of peer review. NBK organizes Høstutstillingen as a juried exhibition at Kunstnernes Hus - where it has had a permanent residence since it opened in 1930.