Press release —
Interactive Exhibition Opens Munch’s Hidden Drawing Archive
Edvard Munch – Connect the Lines invites the audience to draw with Edvard Munch—and discover thousands of artworks with the help of artificial intelligence.
From June 26 to November 29, 2026, MUNCH invites visitors into a new interactive exhibition that makes Edvard Munch’s extensive drawing archive accessible in an entirely new way. In the exhibition Connect the Lines, visitors can explore the artist’s linework through their own digital drawings, which are connected to Munch’s works using artificial intelligence.
The exhibition is presented on the 10th floor of MUNCH and gives the public access to a unique collection that is normally unavailable for viewing. The museum’s collection contains around 7,000 drawings by Edvard Munch, but most are too fragile to be displayed for extended periods.
“Through this exhibition, we want to show that Munch’s drawings are not merely historical documents, but living expressions that continue to inspire creativity, curiosity, and new encounters between people and art,” says Tone Hansen, Director of MUNCH.
In the exhibition, visitors draw on tablets while an AI-based system analyzes their lines and finds similar drawings in Munch’s digital archive. In this way, a vast body of artistic material is opened up for exploration, play, and reflection. The music for the exhibition has been created by the Norwegian-Mexican artist and producer Carmen Villain specifically for the exhibition.
Hansen continues:
“The technology is a tool for making art more accessible. With the help of artificial intelligence, we can open up a large and fragile drawing collection that is otherwise rarely shown, while also ensuring that the works are preserved for the future.”
The exhibition highlights surprising and lesser-known aspects of Edvard Munch’s work through a physical selection from the collection—from humorous caricatures and dog drawings to intimate studies of the human body and a comic-inspired exploration of Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt (1867).
About the Project
Connect the Lines is based on the research and innovation project New Snow, developed through MUNCH Lab, an experimental space where the museum explores and creates new ways of engaging with Edvard Munch’s artistic legacy.
The project investigates how technology can be used to create new encounters between art and audiences. The AI system that connects visitors’ drawings with Munch’s works was developed in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services. The digitization of the drawings was made possible with support from The Bergesen Foundation.
To book an exclusive press viewing, please contact Senior Communications Advisor Selena Sefany at selena.sefany@munchmuseet.no.
Related links
Topics
Categories
MUNCH is home to the world's largest collection of works by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. 22 October 2021, MUNCH will open in a brand new building on Oslo’s waterfront. The bespoke structure, designed by estudio Herreros, will house more than 26,000 works that Edvard Munch bequeathed to the City of Oslo. The museum also manages collections donated by Rolf Stenersen, Amaldus Nielsen and Ludvig Ravensberg.
The new museum will trace the artist’s profound influence both on modern art and on artists through to the present day. Alongside displays of iconic artworks from the renowned permanent collection, temporary exhibitions will show Edvard Munch’s lasting influence in his own contemporary society, as well as on today’s generation of artists.
Visitors will experience the highlights of Edvard Munch’s oeuvre, in parallel with a wide-ranging programme of cultural events and experiences for visitors of all ages. From its location in Bjørvika, with unparalleled views of the Oslo Fjord, the museum will offer an extensive program of art and cultural experiences across thirteen floors.
