“It is good to see the private sector taking responsibility and helping to make Norway the centre of culture that we would like. I hope the collection of sculptures will be a delight for residents and an inspiration for others to follow in Selvaag Gruppen’s example,” said Minister of Culture Trond Giske in his opening address.

Oslo’s mayor, Per Ditlev-Simonsen, was also impressed by Selvaag Gruppen’s initiative. “The ‘Peer Gynt’ suite of sculptures both enriches and enhances, not only this district but the whole of Oslo, perhaps even the entire country,” said Mr Ditlev-Simonsen in his speech.

Long tradition

For half a century Selvaag Gruppen has left its housing developments a considerable artistic legacy: more than 400 sculptures in all.

“Selvaag Gruppen has a long tradition of installing sculptures in and around our larger housing developments,” said Selvaag Gruppen’s CEO, Ole Gunnar Selvaag  . “We are now taking this tradition to a higher level with the creation of the ‘Peer Gynt Suite’ here at Løren.

Wednesday saw the unveiling of five sculptures inspired by various scenes from Ibsen’s famous play ‘Peer Gynt’ at a ceremony in the Løren district of Oslo. The five sculptures were unveiled by, respectively, His Excellency Roland Mauch, the German Ambassador; the Mayor of Oslo Per Ditlev-Simonsen; Her Excellency Rosa Anna Coniglio, the Italian Ambassador; actress Wenche Foss; and His Excellency Ryszard M. Czarny, the Polish Ambassador.

Global competition

Selvaag Gruppen is currently redeveloping the Løren district in Oslo, and the planned ‘Peer Gynt Suite’ will make an important contribution to creating an attractive outdoor environment in the area. The ‘Peer Gynt Suite’ will eventually comprise some 30 sculptures, most of which will be produced as a result of an international sculpture competition to be held annually until the collection is complete. According to Ellen Horn, jury member and Director of the Norwegian National Touring Company (Riksteateret), response to the competition has been overwhelming. “In the first two rounds of the competition, we have received entries from 129 sculptors from 18 countries. I am impressed by the diversity of the entries, and the competition is helping to communicate Ibsen in a new way through another art form,” she said.

Installation to coincide with Ibsen centenary

The five first sculptures are being installed to coincide with the 2006 centenary of Ibsen’s death. The works include the three specially commissioned pieces ‘Peer and Anitra in the Desert’ by Elena Engelsen/Per Ung (Norway), ‘The Abduction’ by Jim Dine (USA) and ‘The Devil in the Nut’ by Enzo Cucchi (Italy), and the two competition winners ‘The Meeting between Peer, Solvejg and the Button Moulder’ by Jan Kolasinski (Poland) and ‘Solvejg at the Newly Built Hut’ by Wolf Bröll (Germany).

See the pictures form the opening

The competition jury

The jury members are:

• Ellen Horn, Director of the Norwegian National Touring Company (Riksteateret)
• Kirsten Kokkin, sculptor
• Vigdis Ystad, professor at the Centre for Ibsen Studies
• Kim Brandstrup, owner of Galleri Brandstrup
• Peder Lund, owner of Lund Fine Art
• Kristian Blystad, sculptor
• Ole Gunnar Selvaag  , CEO Selvaag Gruppen.
   

For more information, see separate factsheet, or contact:

Ole Gunnar Selvaag  or Beate Bustin Gardiner, tel: +47 2313 7108

or mobile: + 47 48 00 50 81