Munch 150 Gets Underway

The works of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch are in the global spotlight as Oslo welcomes visitors to its “Munch 150” exhibition, open from this week.

Munch 150, a collaboration between the Munch Museum and the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, is the most comprehensive Munch exhibition ever, featuring 250 works from all periods and central themes from his production.

The most important collections of Munch’s art are now in the Munch Museum and the National Gallery.

Norway welcomes the world

From 2 June to 13 October, the University of Oslo Aula, Freia and Ekely will be open to the public at selected times.

Edvard Munch’s monumental paintings can be experienced in the University of Oslo Aula, including The Sun which is the central motif on the back wall. This decoration assignment was completed in 1916.

Among the features of the employee cafeteria of the Freia Chocolate Factory are sizeable decorative works by Munch, 12 paintings from 1922.

In 1916 Edvard Munch bought the property Ekely, a former nursery at Skøyen, then on the outskirts of Oslo. This became Munch’s permanent residence the rest of his life. The main house was torn down but one of the atelier buildings has been preserved. It will house a documentary exhibition of the studio’s original appearance and ways in which the artist found motifs in his immediate environment.

A magazine has been produced for the anniversary, which can be downloaded here.

Along with Oslo, Munch 150 is being celebrated in seven other municipalities with connections to the artist and his life: Vestby, Moss, Fredrikstad, Løten, Horten, Kragerø and Vågå.

Further information on the festival can be found at the Munch 150 website.

Photo credit: Jamie Campbell