Oslo and Munch

It was pretty warm on Saturday afternoon when I left Melbourne. About a day later, I found myself arriving in Oslo at the other temperature extreme (- 1 degree to be exact). I am staying with my friend, Marianne. After dropping off the bags at Marianne’s apartment and a quick shower, we decided to head out to the Munst museum. As the name suggests, the museum is dedicated to the works of Norwegian artist, Edvard Munch. The artist’s most iconic painting is The Scream.

There are several versions in existence, one of which was on display. The security at the museum is one of the most extreme I have ever seen for art gallery. Visitors firstly have to go through an airport-like security system (x-ray machine for bags, walk through metal detectors), and several glass gates/barriers before entering the security camera-laden gallery spaces to see the paintings. Leaving the exhibition requires visitors to pass through two addition security gates. The reason for the heightened security? A few years ago, the museum fell victim to a brazen theft of several Munch paintings. Still, the system in place seems a bit of an over kill to me.