Visit Ekeberg Park, The ‘Other’ Sculpture Park In Oslo, Norway

30.04.2024 - 14:27 / forbes.com / Edvard Munch / Gustav Vigeland / Damien Hirst / Marilyn Monroe / Art

Norway’s capital city is famous for Vigeland Sculpture Park. Rightly so, for the park featuring 212 sculptures of celebrated visionary Gustav Vigeland has long been one of the country’s leading free tourist destinations.

But Vigeland is not the only name in town when it comes to public artwork in Oslo. On a forested hillside on the eastern side of the city, Oslo hides another sculpture park lesser known by tourists.

Ekeberg Park is beloved by locals for its tranquil trails, panoramic views of the city and the Oslofjord, and its intriguing collection of modern art that stimulates thought and emotion.

Art pieces here are set against a backdrop of Nordic woodland. Each piece is positioned to take advantage of natural light and the contours of the land, creating an interactive dialogue between the art and its environment.

The Ekeberg area of Oslo is famous for providing the inspiration behind Edvard Munch’s world-famous set of drawings and paintings known as The Scream.

It was here, overlooking the city and fjord, that Munch sensed a breath of melancholy, feeling “a great, endless scream passing through nature.”

One of the park’s more intriguing artworks was the 2013 live performance piece conceived by Serbian artist Marina Abramović. A total of 270 Oslo locals screamed out their emotions, the film of which is on permanent display in the park’s museum.

The platform remains in place, with instructions on screaming for yourself if the mood takes you. If not, the view of the ever-changing Oslo cityscape—which now includes the new Munch museum—is one to enjoy.

It’s fair to say that the themes of the park will not be to everyone’s taste. Fertility, the female form, and existential questions come into focus, sometimes reflective, often provocative.

The first sculpture most visitors will see upon entering the park is Deep Cream Maradona by Sarah Lucas, who comes from the same stable of controversial contemporary British artists as Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin.

This striking, almost comical sculpture subverts traditional norms by depicting a male figure in a pose that typically features a reclining female nude.

British artist Richard Hudson crafts organic sculptures to evoke balance and harmony. His Ekeberg sculpture Marilyn Monroe is a striking representation of the iconic actress, featuring a highly polished, reflective surface that mirrors its natural surroundings.

Overlooking a pond, a vibrant, birdlike sculpture with expansive wings stands, colored by one of Niki de Saint Phalle's iconic nanas, symbolizing fertility, freedom, and love. In summer, the sculpture emits water jets.

Marina Abramović’s Munch performance piece is not the only alternative artwork to be profiled within the park. Several times per day,