skrik kake

I got to Norway on Sunday morning (Feb 18) and spent the day in Oslo staying awake until my late-night flight to Stavanger. As part of this campaign, A.De took me to the Munch Museum. You know Munch - the guy who did the Scream. The museum has major security. Of course there's the metal detector and x-ray machine and stuff (A.De's friend's pepper spray was ok; A.De's pocket knife was not), but there's also this whole series of one-way automatic glass gate things you have to go through to get to the art. I think they've pretty much decided they're done with having paintings stolen.

There are many other exciting facts about the Munch Museum. Its name in Norwegian is "Munchmuseet"; it is free this winter; the art is totally cool; the posters cost less than two dollars; and it is close to the Tøyen subway station, which I am only telling you because I like the letter ø. But most importantly, at the Munch Museum, you can enjoy a piece of Scream cake. How could I resist?

Before:

After (or during):
Looks kind of horrified, doesn't he? The Scream wasn't on display - I think they're still working on restoring it post-theft - but I've seen one of the versions, at the National Gallery in Oslo, and it's stunning up close. It manages to break away from its incarnations in dorm-room poster, inflatable plastic, and cake topping to be a hell of a piece of art.