Norway is preparing to open the largest Nordic art museum

photo: Iwan Baan

Oslo – On Saturday, a new National Museum will open its doors to visitors in the Norwegian capital Oslo, showcasing over 6,500 works of art across an area of 13,000 m², including the most significant of the four versions of the famous painting The Scream by the expressionist Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The museum, built on the shores of the Oslo fjord for 650 million dollars, will be the largest in the Nordic countries and comparable in scale to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao or the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, reports Reuters.

The building's façade, designed by German architect Klaus Schuwerk, is covered with local blue-grey slate, and the upper transparent hall is made of glass and marble. "The building is monumental, yet unobtrusive," said the institution's director Karin Hindsbo.

The new museum building was originally scheduled to open in 2020, but its construction was delayed to eight years and became more expensive, making it possible to complete only with government financial assistance. This has led to numerous criticisms, as has the museum's "boxy" appearance.

"The building stands on the site of a former train station and was designed to integrate naturally into the surroundings," Hindsbo noted. She also mentioned that the materials used for the construction were selected to last at least 300 years and that the entire complex will produce minimal greenhouse gas emissions.

The Norwegian National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, which will be housed in the new building, was established in 2003 through the merger of the Museum of Architecture, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the National Gallery. Its permanent exhibition will feature a wide range of artworks, from a rare medieval tapestry from Baldishol, Norway, to porcelain and fashion from the Chinese imperial court, as well as contemporary design.

In the upper glass part of the building, temporary exhibitions will take place. The first, titled I Call It Art, will showcase works by artists who are currently exploring themes of identity, belonging, nationality, and democracy in Norway. In the future, the museum plans to hold exhibitions featuring works by American abstract painter Mark Rothko and Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, both of which are expected to be on display in 2024.