Oslo prepares to demolish the government building with Picasso's works
Oslo - In the Norwegian capital Oslo, the demolition of one of the government buildings is imminent, which contains two works by the famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. The building was severely damaged by the attack of the terrorist Anders Behring Breivik on July 22, 2011, and the plan for its demolition announced by the Norwegian government in 2014 has since sparked a series of critical reactions. This week, representatives of the prestigious Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York wrote a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, asking the Norwegian government to reconsider its decision to demolish.
The chief curator of the MoMA's architecture and design collection, Martino Stierli, and the chief curator of the painting and sculpture collection, Ann Temkin, stated that the government building earmarked for demolition, designed by Norwegian architect Erling Viksjö, is a significant example of European brutalist architecture.
The building, known as Block Y, also conceals two engravings created by Picasso in collaboration with his Norwegian friend Carl Nesjar, which experts say herald a new phase in the artist's oeuvre. "The engravings that Picasso created for Block Y signal in many ways the beginning of his era of monumental works, which we can find in cities like Chicago or New York," wrote MoMA representatives.
The building is expected to be demolished by the end of spring. According to the newspaper The Local, Norwegian authorities plan to remove Picasso's engravings "Fishermen" and "Seagull," created using the sandblasting technique, from the wall to later incorporate them into the façade of the new government building.
Gro Nesjar Greve, the daughter of Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar, who contributed to the engravings in 1958, stated that since the beginning of May, the building has been hidden from public view. "The site was fenced off ten days ago, and the 'Fishermen' were covered. Workers at the site began using drills. It raises concerns because once they start moving the engraving, it will crack. No one has yet explained how they will proceed. The entire wall is a work of art," she stated in a recent interview.
The government's decision to demolish the building was supported by a majority of Norwegian political parties in 2016. They pointed out, among other things, the high costs of possible repairs and that few would want to return to a building that became a witness to a bomb attack.
"We also want to improve safety and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians," said Minister for Modernization Nikolai Astrup now. According to him, efforts will also be made to add more greenery and create offices for ministers that are suitable for modern times.
On the contrary, the Association of Norwegian Architects and the Directorate for Cultural Heritage oppose the demolition. Nearly 50,000 people signed the petition protesting the destruction of the building this year. In recent days, activists have formed a human chain around the building, named for its Y-shape, despite measures against the spread of the coronavirus.
The neighboring Block H, built in the late 1950s and hiding three more of Picasso's works, was home to the Prime Minister's offices until Breivik detonated explosives near it in the summer of 2011. Shortly after the bombing, which claimed eight lives, the right-wing extremist shot 69 participants of a youth camp of the Labour Party on the island of Utøya near Oslo. Block H will undergo reconstruction and will continue to rise above the new ministerial buildings, reports AFP.
The chief curator of the MoMA's architecture and design collection, Martino Stierli, and the chief curator of the painting and sculpture collection, Ann Temkin, stated that the government building earmarked for demolition, designed by Norwegian architect Erling Viksjö, is a significant example of European brutalist architecture.
The building, known as Block Y, also conceals two engravings created by Picasso in collaboration with his Norwegian friend Carl Nesjar, which experts say herald a new phase in the artist's oeuvre. "The engravings that Picasso created for Block Y signal in many ways the beginning of his era of monumental works, which we can find in cities like Chicago or New York," wrote MoMA representatives.
The building is expected to be demolished by the end of spring. According to the newspaper The Local, Norwegian authorities plan to remove Picasso's engravings "Fishermen" and "Seagull," created using the sandblasting technique, from the wall to later incorporate them into the façade of the new government building.
Gro Nesjar Greve, the daughter of Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar, who contributed to the engravings in 1958, stated that since the beginning of May, the building has been hidden from public view. "The site was fenced off ten days ago, and the 'Fishermen' were covered. Workers at the site began using drills. It raises concerns because once they start moving the engraving, it will crack. No one has yet explained how they will proceed. The entire wall is a work of art," she stated in a recent interview.
The government's decision to demolish the building was supported by a majority of Norwegian political parties in 2016. They pointed out, among other things, the high costs of possible repairs and that few would want to return to a building that became a witness to a bomb attack.
"We also want to improve safety and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians," said Minister for Modernization Nikolai Astrup now. According to him, efforts will also be made to add more greenery and create offices for ministers that are suitable for modern times.
On the contrary, the Association of Norwegian Architects and the Directorate for Cultural Heritage oppose the demolition. Nearly 50,000 people signed the petition protesting the destruction of the building this year. In recent days, activists have formed a human chain around the building, named for its Y-shape, despite measures against the spread of the coronavirus.
The neighboring Block H, built in the late 1950s and hiding three more of Picasso's works, was home to the Prime Minister's offices until Breivik detonated explosives near it in the summer of 2011. Shortly after the bombing, which claimed eight lives, the right-wing extremist shot 69 participants of a youth camp of the Labour Party on the island of Utøya near Oslo. Block H will undergo reconstruction and will continue to rise above the new ministerial buildings, reports AFP.
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