Ekeberg Sculpture Park comes to Oslo, Norway

Rodin's "Eva," 1881, will be just one of the 30 sculptures located in Ekeberg Park when it opens in Oslo, Norway. The park will celebrate "feminine inspired in all its diversity." All photography is the property of Ekebergparken.com. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

As you know, recently I accompanied Innovation Norway on an epic tour of the Norwegian fjords and had the opportunity to discover the art, culture and history of this spectacular country. It's also no secret that I am a huge fan of discovering art as evidenced by my ArtSmart Roundtable series published on the first Monday of each month. And so it with this theme that I am thrilled to announce a remarkable new sculpture park opening in Oslo Sept. 26, 2013 that will surely become one of Scandinavia's finest!

Matt Johnson's "Levitating Woman." This floating naked woman draped in a cloth was cast in bronze but you would never know it from the softness of the sheet that seems to drip from her body.

"Marilyn" by Richard Hudson. "— Line is the most important thing to me, the continuity of it ... I like sculptures that flow."

Transforming a derelict piece of land on one of the hottest pieces of real estate in Oslo, Ekeberg Park will feature 30 captivating sculptures when it opens and is expected to grow to 80 by the time the collection is completed. Businessman Christian Ringnes who proposed the park's main theme—"homage to woman," privately donated the estimated cost of $50M. When he first proposed the idea and theme for the park to the Oslo Municipal Authority, they loved it and an agreement was signed soon thereafter. An art advisory committee was established who later emphasized that the sculptures should be placed in a natural setting and that the park's identity should focus on "feminine inspired in all its diversity."

Salvador Dali's "Venus de Milo aux Tiroirs." Dali compares the subconscious with the secret drawers (symbolic of suppressed sexualality) that can be opened in this work. Look carefully at her torso.

Aristide Maillol's "Nue Sans Draperie." Our female figure takes on a modern form of Aphrodite from Knidos and Venus de Milo.

"La Grand de Laveuse," (the Charwoman) 1917, by Renoir. This sculpture was the last piece Renoir made together with Guino and was intended to be the counterpart to another sculpture called Le Forgeron (the Blacksmith). The two were meant to symbolize contrasting fire and water or man and woman. Sadly, Le Forgeron was never completed.

For the last three years, a number of renowned artists visited Ekeberg including James Turrell, Jenny Holzer, Dan Graham, Tony Oursler and Marina Abramovic; all of whom have drawn inspiration from Ekeberg's history. Speaking of drawing inspiration from Ekeberg, did you know Edvard Munch was inspired here to create his "Scream"? Plus, you'll find the work of the masters from Rodin and Maillol to Salvador Dali and other contemporaries including Lynn Chadwick, Tony Cragg, Louise Bourgeois, Matt Johnson—among many others! With this line-up, Ekeberg Park will surely put Norway on the map as a leading destination to discover fascinating art.

Dyre Vaa's "Huldra," Ekeberg's Park’s wicked wood nymph inspired by Norwegian fairy-tale traditions and literature.

Renoir's "Venus Victrix," 1914-1916. We see our goddess of love in a moment of victory over her competitors, Minerva and Juno, in the beauty contest that eventually caused the Trojan War. In her hand, she holds a golden apple that was given to her by Paris as a symbol of her victory (she promised him lovely Helen in return...).

For more information, be sure to visit Ekeberg Park.com for an overview of the park including map, history, photographs of all the sculptures and more!