As We See It

Scream’ celebration: Local Norwegians blow up Edvard Munch’s 150th on social media

Image
Local Norwegians took to social media with their tributes of “The Scream” (pictured) for Edvard Munch’s 150th birthday.

Let’s call it “Munching,” the meme not heard ’round the world. On December 12, fans of revered Norwegian artist Edvard Munch celebrated the 150th anniversary of his birth by imitating his iconic painting “The Scream.” Our own chapter of the Sons of Norway, the Vegas Viking Lodge, called on members for a flood of photo and video tributes posted to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Local Norwegians’ Edvard Munch Tributes

“Norway has spent the last year celebrating the 150th birthday of the great artist, and the celebrations concluded on his birthday. I was in Norway in August, and everywhere you went you could not help but notice his image, as it was plastered everywhere—from the sides of trains and billboards to candy bar wrappers and soda cans,” says the Vegas Viking Lodge’s Erik Pappa, who took his young daughter to see one of the four original versions of “The Scream” at the National Gallery in Oslo this summer. “For the Norwegian diaspora, Munch is naturally a source of great pride. ‘The Scream’ is, of course, his most famous work. Despite its dark sense of foreboding, its iconic nature lends itself to being used for fun—and we Vegas Vikings like to enjoy ourselves. Hence, the challenge!”

To the right are photos of some locals who took it on, hoping to say a cheerful takk, or thanks, to the master.

Share
Top of Story