House of Foundation

House of Foundation was set up in the autumn of 2009 in the premises of the old Mølla Kunstskole in Møllebyen, Moss, and describes itself as an artists' collective and a literature house. The building holds the Audiatur bookshop — named Bookshop of the Year by the Norwegian Authors' Union in 2012 — a café, two exhibition rooms, an art and design shop and a number of offices and studios. The publishing house H//O//F, the Lyse Netter series, Møllebyen Litteraturfestival and the house's children's festival all grew out of the project. It is a working venue as well as a gallery: in its early years it counted among the most active literary stages in Norway, with more than 150 Norwegian and Scandinavian writers appearing, alongside concerts and exhibitions. The shop doubles as a multi-space carrying permanent small installations left behind by exhibitors, and is run on a wholly idealistic footing, with any surplus going back into concerts, exhibitions and festivals. The initiative came from Mari Kolsrud Hustoft and Martin M. Sørhaug, and the house was awarded the Erling Stenersen legacy in 2011. The café serves coffee from Lippe kaffebrenneri, sandwiches, home baking and snacks, and runs as a lunch café, evening café and bar. The house is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 to 16:00.