Art in Oslo: Visiting Oslo’s MUNCH Museum

In October 2021, the brand new MUNCH museum opened right on the waterfront of Oslo Fjord. This museum was designed and built to house the artwork of Edvard Munch, the renowned Norwegian painter and printmaker.

Munch is best known for his most famous painting, The Scream. However, he was also an important artist in the Modernism movement and produced an impressively large body of work over his 60-year career.

Who was Edvard Munch?

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian artist active from the 1880s up until his death in 1944. During this time, he became an influential painter and printmaker and created many thousands of works of art.

In the present day, this impressive resume has been overshadowed by his fame as the creator of one image in particular: The Scream, which is one of the most recognizable images in Western art.

However, there is much more to Edvard Munch than this single image. You can discover the many facets of his artistic career at Oslo’s MUNCH museum, which is one of the largest museums in the world dedicated to a single artist.

The new MUNCH building

The new MUNCH building, designed by the architecture firm Estudio Herreros, is a striking figure on Oslo’s skyline. Its slanted design makes it look as if it is bowing to downtown Oslo.

In addition to its distinctive visual effect, the building has a low-emission design that is in keeping with the city of Oslo’s sustainability goals. Another plus – the new museum is five times as large as the previous MUNCH museum, so there is even more to explore!

Exhibitions

The Scream

The MUNCH museum houses three versions of Munch’s most iconic painting: The Scream. These three delicate pieces are rotated to prevent them from being exposed to too much light, which would degrade them over time.

The museum also houses other well-known Edvard Munch works, including The Madonna and Girls on a Bridge.

The Aula paintings

The largest paintings in the MUNCH museum measure up to 50 square meters in size! These paintings were originally created to decorate the walls of the University of Olso’s ceremonial hall (the Aula). These giant paintings had to be lifted by crane and passed through a special slot built into the side of the new building’s sixth floor. This slot was sealed before the museum opened up to the public.

Rotating contemporary art exhibitions

In addition to the works of Edvard Munch, the museum curates a program of temporary exhibitions featuring contemporary artists. These exhibitions change regularly and make it worthwhile to visit the museum again and again. The museum’s current program of exhibitions can be found here.

Dining and drinks at the museum restaurant and Kranen sky bar

Hoping for dinner and a drink after a day of looking at art? Look no further than the museum’s in-house restaurant and sky bar!

The top two floors of the MUNCH museum house the Bistro Tolvte and the Kranen cocktail bar. The cocktail bar is especially worth a visit for its rooftop terrace looking over the fjord. From here, you can catch stunning views of the Oslo Opera House.

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The MUNCH museum is definitely a must-see in Oslo, whether you are into art or just want to know more about the culture of the city. If you enjoyed this museum, you can find a list of other museums to check out in Oslo here.

Entrance to MUNCH and many other museums in Oslo is free with the Oslo Pass! Learn more about whether this pass is right for your trip to Oslo here.

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