Press release -
NEW MUNCH OFFICIALLY OPENS
New MUNCH officially opens to the public on 22 October 2021 in Oslo
Interior and exterior images here
- The new museum, designed by award-winning architecture practice estudio Herreros, is one of the world’s largest museums dedicated to a single artist
- 11 new exhibition halls allow visitors to access the most extensive collection of works by Edvard Munch in the world, with over 26,700 works in the collection
- Highlights in the new museum include monumental mural paintings including The Sun (1909), which stretches nearly 8 meters, as well as several versions of Munch’s iconic work, The Scream, including an early study in pastel from 1893 and a later painted version from 1910
- Tracey Emin, one of the UK’s most celebrated and controversial artists, to exhibit over two floors in her first major Nordic exhibition.
Friday 22 October 2021 the new MUNCH officially opens to the public in Oslo. At five times the size of the original building, the new MUNCH allows visitors to experience the full range of Edvard Munch’s work across 11 floors. The museum boasts the world’s largest collection of Edvard Munch’s oeuvre, and the new structure increases the exhibition areas fourfold with 26,313 square metres of new spaces to showcase highlights from the artist’s prolific career. Standing at over 57.4 metres, this new landmark places Edvard Munch, Norway’s most important artist, firmly at the centre of the city of Oslo.
Located on the edge of the Fjord, estudio Herreros created the new museum with the city of Oslo in mind. This new museum on the waterfront transforms the city’s skyline. The top floor opens up into an observation area, offering some of Oslo’s most spectacular views. The perforated, translucent aluminium façade reflects the changing colours and conditions of the Oslo skies. The new building has been created as a nod to Edvard Munch’s connection to the Norwegian landscape and his penchant for painting outside in all seasons.
Read more about the architects vision here
The new museum is a fully accessible, vibrant venue, offering a wide-ranging programme of events and experiences for visitors of all ages with enhanced studio spaces. Research and conservation facilities are accessible to the public, allowing visitors insight into the ongoing work taking place to preserve and celebrate Edvard Munch’s legacy. The programme of events includes concerts, literature readings, performance and art workshops, integrating the museum within the new cultural district of Bjørvika. Visitors can also enjoy a meal in the 13th floor restaurant with views overlooking the city and Fjord.
THE COLLECTION
MUNCH’s collection, the core of which Edvard Munch donated to the city of Oslo upon his death, includes over half of Munch’s known works, including over 26,700 paintings, prints, photographs, drawings and watercolours by the artist, ranging from 1873 to 1944.
While Munch is best-known for The Scream,he also experimented with various media and techniques at the edge of modernism. In addition to the paintings, watercolours and woodblock prints for which he is best known, Munch bought a Kodak camera in 1902 and is recognised today as one of the first artists to experiment with self-portrait photography.
The museum’s collection also includes thousands of other items included in Edvard Munch’s original bequest to the city such as his printing plates and lithographic stones as well as thousands of letters and approximately 10,000 objects from his own personal belongings.
As well as allowing for greater opportunities to showcase Edvard Munch’s artworks, the new museum also hosts major temporary exhibitions by both Norwegian and international artists, exploring Munch’s enduring influence on generations of artists that have followed.
OPENING PROGRAM
Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul
22 October 2021 - 2 January 2022
In her first major Scandinavian exhibition and the first exhibition to inaugurate the new museum, The Loneliness of the Soul explores Edvard Munch’s influence on Tracey Emin and how his oeuvre has shaped her work over several decades.
Showcasing Emin’s enduring fascination with Munch, this exhibition, curated by Kari Brandtzæg, allows for a dialogue between the two artists, with new works by Emin shown alongside pieces by Munch from the museum collection which Emin has personally selected.
The exhibition focuses on her work in painting, sculpture and neon text over the last decade, and also includes a selection of her early artworks, including My Bed (1998). Illustrating the profound impact that Munch’s artwork has had on Emin’s career, the exhibition brings to light Munch’s relevance for leading artists working today.
The Loneliness of the Soul, art work photos and installation photos.
For more information on the opening programme, please see here: https://www.munchmuseet.no/en/program2021/
UPCOMING SHOWS
The Savage Eye
12.02.22-08.05.22
This exhibition focuses the relationship between Surrealism and some of the most important Symbolist artists, including Paul Gauguin, Odilon Redon, August Strindberg, Edvard Munch and Auguste Rodin. Honing in on the idea of the unconscious, we take visitors on a journey into the deeper levels of the human mind. Using various thematic perspectives and a range of media, the exhibition will cast new light on the immediate precursors to Surrealism. It will also show how Symbolist ideas and artistic modes of expression informed the work of some of the 20th century’s most important artists, including Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso and Louise Bourgeois.
Satyricon and Munch
30.04.22-28.08.22
The Norwegian black metal band Satyricon meets Edvard Munch’s art. The exhibition Satyricon & Munch explores the intersection of black metal and visual art, where a specially composed musical work is connected with a selection of Edvard Munch’s images. When visitors enter the large hall on MUNCH’s tenth floor, this exhibition will create an atmosphere that opens up new entrances to Edvard Munch’s work, and to Satyricon’s music. A release with photographer Morten Andersen will also be published in connection with the exhibition.
Stein Olav Henrichsen, Director of MUNCH, said: “Visitors to the new museum will always be able to experience the highlights of Edvard Munch’s artistic career, alongside changing exhibitions of works by other artists.”
“At Bjørvika we will be able truly to utilize the potential of our collection, and partnerships with other museums will enable us to bring works to Norway that have never been shown here before.”
Juan Herreros, Lead Architect, estudio Herreros, said: “Greeting people at both day and night, MUNCH is a new reference point in Oslo’s skyline that gives locals and visitors an overview and orientation within the city, the surrounding mountains and the Oslo fjord. The Museum will help visitors to experience and learn about the history of the city, establishing a strong connection between the urban development of the city and the art of Edvard Munch.”
Edvard Munch: Infinite From 22 October 2021
Edvard Munch: Monumental From 22 October 2021
Edvard Munch: Shadows From 22 October 2021
Edvard Munch: Up Close From 22 October 2021
Edvard Munch: All is Life 22 October – 14 November 2021
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.
