It’s almost compulsory to look for Munch when visiting Oslo. He is after all one of the city’s most famous sons with the iconic Scream recognised worldwide.
But where to look for Munch in Oslo? Where do you find him? This depends partly on how much Munch you can handle!
Maximum Munch
It is at the Munch Museum you will find the most Munch. This is a 13-storey building dedicated to the man himself and one of the places where you can see that painting. The controversially modern building is on the harbourside with views across the fjord. The purpose-built museum houses a vast collection of Munch’s work in addition to regularly changing exhibitions from other artists. In Norway, museums are rarely free and The Munch museum costs 160 NOK but there is a lot to see here. If anything my criticism would be that there is too much to see- this is a modern and well-designed gallery but I was more than ready to enjoy the refreshments in the Skybar by the end of my visit. There is a cafe on the ground floor but the more memorable refreshment experiences occur in the Sky Room and Sky Bar at the top of the building which gives amazing views over the fjord.
There are 3 main floors to explore when looking for your Munch fix.
Floor 4 Munch Infinite: this floor is the Munch you are expecting to see. The collection on this floor includes some of his most famous paintings including three versions of the scream. Due to the age and delicate nature of the artwork, a room has been built where all three versions are hung but only one at a time is visible to the public. Every hour the version on display disappears and another comes into view (literally when one door closes another one opens).
Munch actually wrote a poem recording the moment The Scream came to him before creating the visual. After walking with friends, he recorded in his diary that he was captivated by the view of the flaming clouds and the blue-black city and water. Shivering with anxiety, sensing «a great and infinite scream through nature.», he had to stop.
If after visiting the museum you haven’t had enough from The Scream you can go a little further around the fjord and look for the view that inspired him so. (https://www.perceptivetravel.com/issues/0312/norway.html)
Floor 6 Munch Monumental: Here you can see my favourite of Munch’s work. These are vast frescos that were designed to decorate the University of Oslo. Pictures of the sun, the sea, and people all represent some aspect of learning. These pictures are different from his usual portraits as they somehow contain more joy.
Floor 7 Munch Shadows and Up Close On this floor you will learn more about Much and his work. The Shadows is an interactive exhibit that shows Munch’s life in two ways. Around the edge of the room are photographs and artefacts that create a timeline of his life. In the centre of the room, his home is projected through ‘shadows’. One can be shown into his house by his housekeeper, sit for a portrait or listen to his gramophone. For children, there are mouse holes to peep into a secret world.
In the ‘Up Close’ exhibition many of Munch’s woodcuts are displayed along with information on the technique and the chance to use his stencils to create your own picture.
A significant amount of Munch
The next place to find Munch is the Munch Room at the National Museum. Here you will find a significant number of his most famous works including another version of The Scream, The Sick Child etc. Munch made many versions of the same pictures so there isn’t really much here that is new if you have seen the Munch Museum. However, if you’re looking for a significant but not overwhelming amount of Munch then this is the place to go. The Museum overall is definitely worth a visit for an art lover with many Norweigan and international artists displayed in the permanent collection which sits on the second floor.
Seasonal Munch
At the University of Oslo in the Aula you can see many of the paintings from the Museum Munch monumental in their original context. The university assembly hall was built in 1911 with a large well lite auditorium designed to showcase art. The university held a competition for an artist to decorate this space and after what is known as the ‘Aula controversy’ Munch won the honour in 1914. (Emmanuel Vigeland being the other of Oslo’s famous sons who nearly won the honour).
I love these paintings and this is a beautiful place to see them. The Aula sits on one of Oslo’s busiest streets and it’s a treat to step off the main drag into this cool calm atmosphere. Walking through the wooden doors definitely felt like a privilege. However, this experience is only available on alternative Saturdays over the summer period.
A glimpse of Munch
Although Munch failed to win the commission to decorate Oslo City Hall (Rådhuset) you can still catch a glimpse of his work here. Rådhuset is open to all and is a strange building. The outside gives no clue to the inside. The inside of the building is decorated by artists such as Henrik Sørensen, Alf Rolfsen, Else Poulsson and Per Krogh. Murals show the history, traditions and values of Norway. Many of these are beautiful and the building is well worth a visit.
On the second floor is the Munch room which is used for weddings. Here hangs The Munch painting entitled Life.
Oops I missed Munch
Don’t worry – if you missed seeing Munch’s art in Oslo you have one more chance before leaving as the Munch Museum has 2 artworks on display at Oslo Airport. These are on the pier which runs north from the centre of the terminal building, by D-gate. This is the least reverential place to view the artists’ work but still, worth stopping for a moment to look. The display changes at least once a year.
Munch’s work is so tied up to the city of Oslo that learning about the paintings starts to show the history of the city. The monumental work at the University during the period of nation-building, the painting at the City Hall that was taken to Germany during the time of occupation, and the paintings that were stolen and recovered from the previous Munch museum. Seeing Munch is not just about art it’s also a taste of the history and culture of Norway.
