Good Cause to Scream

July 27, 2013, Norway Cup

This year Norway celebrates the 150th birthday of its most famous painter, Edvard Munch. And throughout the year, Norwegians are marking the event in unique and thought-provoking ways. For example, in tribute to Munch's iconic Scream series, Norwegian artist Lisa Wulff initiated "The Scream from Nature," an environmentally-focused art project to raise awareness about the relationship between humans and the environment.

In 1892 Munch described the experience behind his Scream motif: "I was walking along the road with two friends. The sun was setting. Suddenly the sky turned blood red and I felt a huge unending scream course through nature."

The project connects Munch's century-old Scream with the modern "screams" we hear from nature today. "Droughts, forest fires, floods, earth slides, extreme weather, melting glaciers, rising ocean levels and massive extinctions of animal and plant species are just some of the huge challenges the world faces today," states the project website. The organizers hope to make a connection between our relationship with nature and the consequences our choices have for the planet we live on.

The project interprets Munch’s masterpiece by recreating the iconic expression in large formats and outdoor settings. For example, on July 27 during the opening of the Norway Cup, the country's largest youth soccer tournament, 4,000 youth from all over the World gathered in the shape of the Scream. The result was as large as a football field.

To learn more about the events scheduled to commemorate Munch's birthday, check out "Celebrating a Master" in the August issue of Viking.

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.