What To Expect From The New National Museum In Oslo, Norway – Forbes
The new National Museum in Oslo is next to the City Hall and Nobel Peace Center.
Iwan Baan
After many years of development including several lengthy delays, the new National Museum of Norway is finally open to the public. The ‘big, grey box’ as it has been dubbed by critics holds few clues as to the contents, so here’s what to expect if you plan on visiting one of the most eagerly-awaited cultural attractions in the Nordics.
More on display than ever before
Even though the new museum replaces four previous buildings, there is enough room for more paintings, contemporary art, architecture exhibits, and arts and crafts from the full collection than ever before.
Visitors can expect to enjoy diverse exhibits including coronation dresses of Norway’s queens, the story of the development of Scandinavian design, porcelain from the Ming Dynasty, thought-provoking contemporary art and Edvard Munch’s The Scream.
The exhibition ‘Scandinavian Design and the USA, 1890-1980’ is a highlight of the new National … [+]
Ina Wesenberg / National Museum
“Norwegian politicians decided to bring these four collections into one to have an institution that was able to tell the whole story from antiquity up until today about visual arts and culture”, said museum director Karin Hindsbo.
You’ll need to plan
While bringing the full collection under one roof creates a true cultural destination for Oslo, it does present challenges for visitors.
With 13,000 square meters of exhibition space, Norway’s National Museum is bigger than Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and Bilbao’s Guggenheim.
The new National Museum of Norway on the Oslo waterfront.
Iwan Baan
Avoid overwhelm by visiting the museum website in advance to figure out which of the 100+ rooms interests you most. That task is made slightly easier by the museum’s decision to choose a (mostly) chronological-based layout.
The need to plan also includes booking timed entrance tickets well in advance. Demand for tickets is likely to be great from locals, not just tourists visiting Oslo this summer. Norwegians have been waiting for eight years for the museum to open.
An eye-catching entrance
Your experience begins the moment you step inside the foyer. Guests are greeted by a tapestry made up of 400 polished reindeer skulls by Sámi artist Máret Ánne Sara.
The importance of the piece goes beyond shock value. It is not a new piece of art, having been used as a Sámi protest symbol against policies of the Norwegian state for many years.
The exterior of the new National Museum in Oslo, Norway, has attracted criticism from some.
Ina Wesenberg
The fact it is on display at all is the result of lengthy debate and negotiation. For example, if the museum decides to remove the piece from the foyer, it must be returned to a museum in the Sámi area of Northern Norway.
Museum curator Randi Godø called it a statement piece about the museum’s intention to reflect all aspects of Norwegian culture and …….