Norway authorises demolition of building with Picasso murals
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, December 12, 2024


Norway authorises demolition of building with Picasso murals
People pass Picasso's mural art work "The Fisherman" on the government quarter's 'Y building' in Oslo, Norway on August 6, 2013. AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSEN.



OSLO (AFP).- Norway gave the go-ahead on Wednesday for the demolition of a bomb-damaged building adorned with drawings by Spanish master painter Pablo Picasso.

The government, which ruled out a further postponement to the 2014 decision to demolish the building, has said it would relocate the two Picasso murals.

Completed in 1969 in the centre of Oslo, the "Y block", named for its shape, bears drawings by Picasso sandblasted on its walls - the work of Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar, who collaborated with the Spanish master painter.

Previously the home of a government ministry, the building was damaged in the deadly bomb attack carried out by right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik on 22 July 2011, before he went on to carry out a mass shooting on the island of Utoya, killing a combined 77 people.

In 2014, Norway decided to demolish the building for security reasons as part of a major reconstruction project, and decided to relocate the murals "The Fishermen" and "The Seagull."

Anther building, "H block", which was also damaged in the blast and has three other Picasso murals, will not be destroyed.

The 2014 decision to knock down "Y block" provoked a backlash among champions of architectural heritage and the ensuing public outcry saw a delay to the demolition.

Three organisations and associations announced on February 13 their intention to take the state to court and asked the government to postpone the demolition until the court had ruled on the matter.

On Wednesday, the government rejected this request, arguing that further delays would lead to financial cost as well as the postponement of the reconstruction project which has already been decided.

The ministry of local government and modernisation said in a statement that the agency in charge of managing the state's real estate assets, Statsbygg, had been given the "assignment to start preparation work for the demolition of the Y block."

No starting date has been set, but postponing the implementation of the measure beyond April 1 would cost between 30 and 50 million Norwegian kroner ($3.2 million to 5.3 million or 2.9 million to 4.9 million euros) per month, according to Statsbygg.

A petition launched a year ago to stop the demolition of "Y block" had gathered nearly 28,000 signatures by midday on Wednesday.


© Agence France-Presse










Today's News

February 28, 2020

Trinity Fine Art to offer rediscovered work by Sebastiano Ricci at TEFAF 2020

Exhibition looks at ways of visually narrating the history of art

Sixteenth-century drug jar from Italy acquired by the British Museum

Expert gallery talks enhance Asia Week New York offerings

Important exhibition showcases Pier Paolo Pasolini's wide range of work and influence

Walker Art Center surveys six decades of Jasper Johns’s work in printmaking

Norway authorises demolition of building with Picasso murals

PAFA presents 40 years of American printmaking in 'Making Community'

Cooper Hewitt opens acclaimed 'Contemporary Muslim Fashions' exhibition

Contemporary artists and prisoners collaborate on unique artworks in exhibition and online auction

Pick up a penguin from the heroic age of polar exploration

Dix Noonan Webb to hold first sale devoted to Irish banknotes

Misha Kahn's third solo show at Friedman Benda opens in New York

Christian Louboutin explains himself

Labour of love to conserve one of the most important tapestry collections in the world

Clive Cussler, author and shipwreck-finder, dies aged 88

Erasmus Prize 2020 awarded to Grayson Perry

Exceptional works by Zadkine and Foujita highlight Bonhams Impressionist and Modern Art sale

Exhibition of black and white photographs by Lillian Bassman opens at Atlas Gallery

LaM Museum opens a major retrospective devoted to William Kentridge

Tate Britain's Dr. Martin Myrone explores the life and art of Richard St. George

Rare dragon bowls, R.J. Horner cabinet found in mobile home highlights Fine Estate, Inc., auction

MCA Australia develops online artmaking toolkit for people living with dementia

OSL contemporary opens a solo exhibition by Dag Erik Elgin

Japanese Modernism opens at NGV International

How to choose an effective Alcohol and Drugs Rehab center?

Apple's Winner Of The iPhone Night Mode Challenge Inspires Budding Entrepreneurs




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful