Munch: Found in Oslo

LONDON, August 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The Scream remains one of the most famous artworks of the modern age. However, world-renowned artist Edvard Munch, though recognised by many, is understood by very few. Beyond his great and many contributions to the art world, little is known of the artist himself and his life spent in Oslo. With this in mind, Business Destinations journalist Jo Caird delves into the growing and global efforts to understand the man behind The Scream.

The feature focuses principally on Munch’s native Norway and his life in Oslo. The city is of especial importance to Munch and plays host to the largest retrospective of the artist’s work to date, entitled Munch 150 and scheduled to coincide with the 150^th anniversary of his birth. Munch 150 will not only display around 270 of the artist’s works but also offer an invaluable insight into the machinations of the artist’s life and mind. The project co-ordinator, Rikke Lundgreen, claims the exhibition is about “destroying the myth of this artist who did this very dramatic, melancholic work,” and “showing he did a lot more.”

Caird goes beyond the exhibition, however, and delves into Oslo’s many sites dedicated to Munch. Aside from the notorious National Gallery and Munch Museum is the Freia Chocolate Factory, housing a number of Munch works commissioned by the owner himself in 1919. Further afield lies the artist’s studio at Ekely and his first house in Åsgårdstrand, which each offer a fascinating insight into Munch’s life in and around Oslo.