Press release -
NEW COLLECTION DISPLAY AT MUNCH: SEE EDVARD MUNCH TOGETHER WITH ARTISTS OF HIS TIME
The exhibition Edvard Munch Horizons has just opened. It presents Edvard Munch alongside a range of other artists and shows ways in which he maintained an artistic dialogue with his times.
In this exhibition visitors can explore Munch’s place in the history of modern art. It shows how Munch can be seen in the light of other artists, and how his art is closely connected with the artistic movements of his time. Through several thematic perspectives, it presents a complex picture of Munch’s place in the history of this period, mainly between the years of 1890 to 1950.
Ideas of the subjective and the expressive were important to Munch and many other artists in this period. Psychological, social and political issues were also high on the agenda for many artists, in an age preoccupied with unrest and enormous social change. The exhibition also draws attention to the ways artists at this time explored painterly form through abstraction and free use of colour.
– This exhibition outlines a large art historical landscape, says senior curator Lars Toft-Eriksen, featuring a number of artists who can be seen together with Munch – whether in terms of influence or more general tendencies that characterised art during this period. The exhibition places Munch’s work in an art historical context and presents a more complex picture of him and his place in history.
– The exhibition is a significant and important commitment for the museum, since it paints a picture of Edvard Munch that complements and enriches our presentation of him as an artist, says museum director Tone Hansen.
– With the generous gift of Rolf Stenersen as a starting point, we have initiated collaborations involving long-term loans from the Savings Bank Foundation DNB, Canica Art Collection and the Vigeland Museum. This will allow us to tell a richer and more complex story, she continues.
As part of the exhibition, MUNCH has invited three contemporary artists to share their thoughts about it. Visitors will see Amir Asgharnejad, Hanan Benammar and Tyra Tingleff on individual screens, sharing their respective reflections on some of the issues raised by the exhibition.
Notes to editors:
This is a new permanent exhibition at MUNCH and will be open to the public for many years to come. It includes works by European artists such as Oscar Kokoschka, Raoul Dufy, Karl Schmitt-Rottluff, Alexej von Jawlensky, Else Alfelt, Asger Jorn, Gabriele Münter and Emil Nolde. Norwegian artists include Gustav Vigeland, Henrik Sørensen, Ludvig Karsten, Erik Harry Johannessen, Per Krohg, Rolf Nesch, Olav Strømme, Arne Ekeland, Jakob Weidemann, Kai Fjell and Teddy Røwde. The exhibition shows how the work of all these artists lay on the horizon of Munch’s artistic ouvre.
The exhibition is drawn from MUNCH’s collections, as well as long term deposits from the Savings Bank Foundation DNB, Canica Art Collection and the Vigeland Museum.
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.
