Edvard Munch, Closer to Home

By now we hope we’ve made it obvious that Norway is celebrating Edvard Munch’s 150th anniversary with a major exhibition that opened in Oslo on June 2.  I bet you’re thinking … “great, I wish I could be there.”  Well you can be, sort of. On June 27, a series called Exhibition:  Great Art on Screen, launched Munch 150 in cinemas across the country presented by National CineMedia in association with Phil Grabsky Films.  Now all you need to do is to head to the movies to experience Munch fever as if you were in Oslo at the retrospective.  At select theaters the beauty and genius of Munch is projected on a huge screen with masterpieces like “The Scream” and “The Sick Child” shown in detail.  You’re able to see intimate details and observe the art in a way you couldn’t do if you were standing in front of it.

Munch 150 is co-hosted by Oslo’s National Museum of Art and the Munch Museum. Not only does it focus on Munch’s most famous work “The Scream” but it expands on his legacy featuring over 220 paintings, an astounding number of key works on view in one place.  The film goes behind-the-scenes showing how the exhibition was organized and also examines the life of Munch himself. It’s hosted by Tim Marlow, a British writer, broadcaster and art historian with special guests adding insight about the artist and his work.

Exhibition: Great Art on Screen premiered in April with Manet:  Portraying Life which was shown on over 500 screens across the country in association with NCM Fathom Events, and premiered in over 32 countries around the world. The Associated Press declared it “the next big-screen cultural attraction” and the New York Times said “seeing an exhibition through a camera (especially an HD one) is far better than not seeing it at all.” In the UK, the Daily Mail exclaimed that the Manet film included “paintings shown in breathtaking detail,” and the Globe and Mail agreed calling the film “a treat for the eyes.”

Exhibition offers an unprecedented opportunity for audiences worldwide to experience the finest masterpieces of art from the world’s foremost galleries that otherwise would only be seen locally. The series aims to allow art lovers of all ages to enjoy, marvel, delight and more deeply understand the works of some of history’s most beloved painters.  Following Munch 150 the series will continue with a retrospective on Jan Vermeer, whose life and work will be brought to a new level.

So if you can’t make it to Oslo for the exhibition, Munch 150 can transport you there to enjoy this momentous cultural moment and learn a little more about your favorite artist.