HYLAND
(with the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world) that is
less than 50 years away from being simply synonymous
with marauding Vikings, timber and dried fish—or one of
the most economically impoverished countries in Europe.
That renascent energy is a planet removed from the
despairing, much-addled Edvard Munch, or his odes
to melancholy in The Scream and The Sick Child. But
while these legendary paintings, along with Madonna,
Separation II, and Ashes at Oslo's intimate and inviting
Nasjiononal Museet (National Gallery) must be viewed
(along with having a coffee at this museum's charming
French Salon), adventurous Oslo, its push to become
a daring "art workshop pushing the boundaries" is
exemplified at the Fearnly with its Jeff Koons (Michael
Jackson and Bubbles), Damien Hirst (Adam and Eve
Exposed), and Richard Prince (Untitled: Cowboy) works.
The Thief