The exhibition brings together twenty-five of Edvard Munch's most powerful compositions, vividly demonstrating his innovative creative process and unique artistic vision. All works were chosen from The Museum of Modern Art’s collection of Prints and Illustrated Books. Here you will also find a list of symposiums and lectures taking place at Scandinavia House in conjunction with the exhibition. Through May 13.
Munch’s work in etching, lithography, and woodcut is all represented here, as are his experiments with the same image in more than one technique. From the iconic depiction of Madonna in color lithography, to the abstracted interpretation of The Kiss in his signature method of jigsaw woodcutting, Munch is seen as a master of the Symbolist idiom and an artist whose relationship to the contemporary sensibility has grown increasingly relevant in recent years.Gallery admission $3, $2 students and seniors 65+.
When: January 31 – May 13, gallery is open Tuesday–Saturday, 12 noon–6 pm
Where: Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, NYC
Info: (212) 879-9779 or www.scandinaviahouse.org.
Gallery talks: Tuesdays, February 7, March 7 & April 4, 1:00 p.m., free with gallery admission
Gallery hours: Tuesday–Thursday, 12:00–6:00 p.m. Admission: $3, $2 students & seniors 65+
Group tours with gallery talks are available by appointment; call (212) 879-9779 for information.
Munch Today: An International Symposium
The reputation of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) remains as alluring and contested today as it was when he emerged as a force on the European art scene in the 1890s. Join an international panel of leading experts to discuss and debate the meaning of Munch and his art in light of the artist’s biography and cultural position, and in relation to the cultural politics both of his time and of our present day. The symposium was organized in collaboration with the University of Oslo. The internationally renowned Munch scholars participating in the conference are: Patricia G. Berman, Professor of Art, Wellesley College; Øivind Storm Bjerke, Professor, Department of Classics, Philosophy, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo; Jay Clarke, Associate Curator, Art Institute of Chicago; Reinhold Heller, Professor of Art, University of Chicago; Frank Høifødt, independent scholar, Oslo; Bettina Kaufmann, Curator, Kunstmuseum Basel; Lill-Ann Körber, Ph.D. student, Stockholm and Berlin; Erik Mørstad, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo; Arild Pedersen, Professor of Aesthetics, Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo; Gerd Woll, Project Leader, Munch Museum, Oslo; and Tina Yarborough, Associate Professor, Georgia College & State University. The symposium is presented in conjunction with the book New Perspectives on Munch, published by the University of Oslo. The symposium will open with keynote lectures on Wednesday, February 15 with Reinhold Heller and Gerd Woll. Registrants and invited guests only.
When: Thursday, February 16
Registration fee: $30 ($25 American-Scandinavian Foundation members, $20 students). Advance registration required. Call (212) 847-9725.
Lectures on Munch:
Pass for 3-lecture series: $25 ($20 American-Scandinavian Foundation members, $10 students). Tickets for individual lectures: $10 ($8 American-Scandinavian Foundation members, $5 students) Lecture reservations: call (212) 847-9740.
Munch, Ibsen, and the Norwegian Culture Wars
Dr. Joan Templeton, President of the Ibsen Society of America and author of Ibsen's Women and the forthcoming Munch's Ibsen: A Painter's Visions of a Playwright, will speak on the relation between the two great Norwegian artists. She’ll focus on Ibsen's and Munch's dominant roles in the violent cultural wars that marked Norway's history in the last two decades of the 19th century and on Ibsen's crucial importance for the young Munch as a pioneering, radical voice. Slides of Munch's iconic Ibsen portraits and of other Munch works will accompany the lecture. $10 ($8 American-Scandinavian Foundation members, $5 students)
When: Tuesday, March 14, 6:30 pm.
A Collector’s Perspective on Munch
Sarah G. Epstein, collector of Edvard Munch prints since the early 1960s, will give a slide lecture on the life and art of the famous Norwegian artist. She has traveled to Norway many times and has interviewed people who knew Munch during his lifetime; her talk will include what she has learned about Munch from conducting more than 90 interviews. She’ll illustrate her lecture using Munch’s works, images of places he lived, and people he knew. $10 ($8 American-Scandinavian Foundation members, $5 students)
When: Tuesday, March 21, 6:30 pm.
Munch, Sex, and Modernity
In the 1890s, Edvard Munch produced among the most provocative and insightful representations of modern sexuality anywhere in Europe. Living and working in Berlin during the first efflorescence of the women's movement, the gay rights movement, and the emergence of the sexual sciences, the artist offered images of men and women that mirrored and contributed to the urgent questions raised by those fields of endeavor. Dr. Patricia G. Berman, a Professor of Art at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, will present some aspects of Munch's visual dialogues with modern notions of sexuality. Professor Berman's research focuses on Edvard Munch, modern Scandinavian and other European art, and on photography. Published in many scholarly journals and anthologies, she is the author of Munch and Women: Image and Myth. $10 ($8 American-Scandinavian Foundation members, $5 students)
When: Thursday, April 20, 6:30 pm.
Munch for Children and Families:
The Long, Adventurous Life of Edvard Munch
The legendary painter Edvard Munch was a cosmopolitan and yet a loyal Norwegian. Throughout his life he exhibited in many places, creating many works of art, which often created quite a stir with the public. In this interactive presentation with performer Rolf Stang, children learn about Munch, the person, his paintings, as well as about Oslo, the city where he lived and to which he left almost all his works of art—enough to make a museum. Children will listen and talk with Rolf, exploring all aspects of Munch’s life. Ages 5+, $6 ($4 American-Scandinavian Foundation members). Call (212) 847-9740 for reservations.
When: Saturday, March 18, 1pm