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Munch is on the move. The first artwork is relocating to its new home on Oslo's waterfront
Moving Munch's art is a work of art in itself
The new MUNCH in Bjørvika, Oslo, is set to open on 22 October 2021. This week, the museum initiated the complex operations of moving Edvard Munch's artworks to their new home by the Oslofjord.
Moving artworks with dimensions upwards of 5 x 11 metres is not a walk in the park. The artworks by the Norwegian artist will be lifted through the roof of the old museum in Tøyen and down to the new MUNCH’s location by the Oslofjord, near the Opera house. A crane hoists the artworks through a large wall slit on the sixth floor. This large and complicated operation is a pioneering feat.
Two of Edvard Munch’s paintings – The Sun and The Researchers are so big that a specially made slot had to be opened through the wall of the sixth floor of the new museum. The artworks are transported in custom-made crates by trucks and then moved to a barge at water's edge. A crane will then hoist them to the opening in the building on the sixth floor, 21 metres up. After the move is completed, the 60 cm wide slot will be sealed – for good.
- This operation is really demanding and has been under planning by a large team at MUNCH and other collaborators for a long time. When the works are safe inside the new MUNCH, they will remain there as long as the museum exists. The room, which is specially made for Edvard Munch's monumental work, extends over two floors and becomes a great place for events surrounded by Munch's art, says director at MUNCH Stein Olav Henrichsen.
About the artworks
Works like these are fittingly defined in the artworld as monumental, and these two will form the nexus of the permanent exhibition. The two largest paintings, The Sun and The Researchers, were painted by Edvard Munch in connection with a commissioned competition in 1909 to decorate the University of Oslo’s ceremonial hall, the Aula. Edvard Munch won the competition and the Aula paintings were amongst the most demanding projects of his career.
The Sun is one of Munch’s major works. The version owned by MUNCH, moving into its new home at Bjørvika this week, is a full-sized draft for the Aula frieze that the artist made in 1910-11. The oil painting’s size is about 4.5 x 8 metres – approximately 35 square metres.
The Sun oil on canvas from 1910-1911, is one of the two largest works being slid through the wall of the new museum building at Bjørvika on 31 May. Winds are known to gust at Bjørvika – so the move has been timed with fair weather. The work measures 4,5 x7,5 metres.
The Researchers is the largest of the works, with dimension of 4.8 times 11 metres. The title refers to the children on the beach, digging in the sand and exploring the world around the woman at the middle, breastfeeding an infant. The Researchers, 1911-1925 oil on canvas and the second work to be hoisted through a slot high up on the wall of the new MUNCH. The painting measures 4,3 times x 11 metres without a frame.
About MUNCH
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 Oslofjord, the museum will offer an extensive program of art and cultural experiences across thirteen floors and will also host restaurants and bars.
Oslo, fjord city
Oslo is moving forward with its Fjordbyen ('Fjord city') project. Many areas of the Norwegian capital are experiencing major development projects, but the most exciting architectural additions take place by the watefront, contributing to develop new areas for cultural and recreational activities for both locals and visitors.
For decades, the area in front of the Oslofjord has been full of barriers separating the city from the fjord: highways, railways, and closed container ports. It is now being completely transformed. Oslo's new opera house and the Barcode high-rises in Bjørvika have already been built here.
New boroughs like Tjuvholmen and Sørenga have risen along the fjord. A new seafront promenade now runs through the area and is very popular among locals, together with sauna life, restaurants, shopping areas and hotels like The THIEF and Clarion Hotel Oslo. The Deichman Bjørvika public library opened in June 2020 and the new National Museum is set to open in 2022, both just a few metres from the waterfront.
For more information about Oslo, visit www.visitoslo.com
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