Galleri Riis was founded in Trondheim in 1972 by Andreas and Inger Riis. The Riis' private collection, including works by the Cobra-group with Jorn and Appel, French works by the Ecôle de Paris, as well as Norwegian art from the 1960s and 1970s, became the foundation of the gallery.
Galleri Riis relocated to Oslo in 1980, and Espen Ryvarden became its director in 1984. These changes marked a shift in the gallery's program, with an increasing focus on the Norwegian and Nordic contemporary art scene, and a selective spotlight on international artists. The current exhibition program reflects a manifold group of artists, vis-a-vis media and expressions. The gallery is also noted for mounting a number of historic exhibitions with contemporary and modern classics, ranging from Dieter Roth to Walker Evans. Galleri Riis receives a great deal of professional interest from collectors, press, dealers and art institutions throughout Scandinavia.
Since 2005 the gallery's location is in an industrial building situated in the harbour close to the city-centre. The exhibition spaces, recently enlarged, are unique in Oslo with the combined 600 m2 and 5 m ceiling. This consolidates Galleri Riis as one of the leading galleries for contemporary art in Norway. The gallery is today owned and directed by Espen Ryvarden and Kristin Elisabeth Bråten, and also operates a space in Stockholm since May 2011. The Stockholm branch occupies 150 m2 in the building of The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in the city-centre.