Press release -
Restless and groundbreaking – Ludvig Karsten at MUNCH
This autum, MUNCH launches its major exhibition Ludvig Karsten – Restless, presenting the work of one of the most extraordinary and under-appreciated Nordic modernists. With more than 70 paintings from both public and private collections Norway and abroad, this is one of the most all-encompassing presentations of Karsten’s artworks in more than a century.
The exhibition gives unique insights into an artist who was constantly shifting between different styles and painting techniques. Almost 100 years after his death, his experimental approach to painting makes him particularly relevant today. Karsten was frequently referred to as ‘the painter’s painter’, which is echoed in the exhibition’s in-depth examination of his artistic development.
‘(…) such devilish brutality has never been seen in Norwegian art, not even in Munch’s wildest nightmares.’ – Verdens Gang newspaper, 19.10.1911
Slowly Forgotten After Tragic Death, Rediscovered in the 1970s
Karsten was recognised and praised in his own lifetime, and viewed with high expectations. However, after his premature death at the age of 50, as a result of falling down some steps, he was all but forgotten. Only in the 1970s came a newly awakened interest in him. With this exhibition, MUNCH aims to highlight Karsten’s artistry and present him as one of the most exhibiting and enigmatic Nordic modernists.
‘The Restless exhibition gives Karsten his rightful place in Norwegian art history – and at the same time offers new perspectives,’ says Tone Hansen, director of MUNCH. She continues:
‘Ludvig Karsten was an artist who was constantly on the move – both on the canvas and in his life. This exhibition shows how his art can still captivate us, almost 100 years after his death. We hope Restless will give our visitors a new view of Karsten – as a significant voice which can still challenge us to reflect over our own time and identity.’
Constant Search for Identity
Ludvig Karsten (1876–1926) was a restless figure – in his art as much as in his life. He was constantly on the move – with a lifetime of travels between Norway, Spain, Denmark, Paris and other European cities. A similar disquiet can be found in his paintings: he would freely change styles several times in the space of a single year. He made experiments with brushstrokes, colour combinations, overpainting and cracks in the canvas.
‘Ludvig Karsten was much more than just a colourist or a disciple of Munch,’ says exhibition curator Signe Endresen. ‘He was a restless artist in both his art and his way of life. With a regularly shifting visual language and a search for an identity, his artistic project raises questions which concern us even more today than in his own time.’
Beyond the Exhibition
There will be a publication linked to the exhibition which emphasises the breadth and complexity of Ludvig Karsten’s artistry. The book includes a newly written poem by Pedro Carmona-Alvarez, which traces connections between Karsten’s art and today’s refugee crisis, as well as art-historical texts by Luisa Aubert, Ellen Egemose, Signe Endresen, MaryClaire Pappas and Vibeke Röstorp. All works shown in the exhibition are reproduced in the book, which includes new perspectives on Karsten’s constantly changing body of art.
MUNCH also presents a curator talk at 13.00 on Saturday 18 October, in the museum’s Toppsalen. Curator Signe Endresen meets art historian and professor MaryClaire Pappas, for a conversation about Karsten’s art, his marginalisation within Norwegian art history – and how to understand his work today.
Read more about the conversation here.
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About the Exhibition:
Title: Ludvig Karsten – Restless
Place: MUNCH, 9th floor
Time: 17 October 2025 – 15 March 2026
Curator: Signe Endresen (PhD), Head Curator NMF
Lenders: Over 25 lenders – including The National Museum of Norway, Kode, Grieg Art Collection, Trondheim Kunstmuseum, Lillehammer Kunstmuseum, Statens Museum for Kunst (Danmark), Ystads Konstmuseum (Sverige) and many private collectors from Norway and England.
