It has a special obligation to Danish and international photography from World War II until today.
The museum is in a former textiles factory, Brandts Klædefabrik, which produced fabrics for uniforms and others uses until it closed in 1977.
For a few years the buildings were left empty until a private initiative convinced Odense Municipality that they were well suited for the establishment of an international arts centre.
It opened its own exhibition space in 1987, the following year—together with its affiliated institutions Kunsthallen and Danmarks Grafiske Museum—winning the title of European Museum of the Year.
The museum's collections consist of approximately 9,000 Danish and international works, mainly from after World War II.