Munch exhibit opens in darkness

By Lars Bevanger
BBC correspondent in Oslo

Viewers say the darkness adds to the experience

A large collection of graphics by the painter Edvard Munch is on show in Norway in a room with no lighting.

The audience have to use torches to see anything at all.

Most people do not expect to walk into a completely dark room when attending the opening of an art exhibition.

But the Stenersen Museum in Oslo decided that this was indeed the only way of showing painter Edward Munch's graphics collection.

Preservation worries

Perhaps Norway's most famous export with his painting The Scream, instantly recognisable around the world, Edvard Munch did not care much for choosing high quality paper for the graphic versions of his work.

Exposed to normal lighting, they will discolour and fade, hence the torches.

But the audiences said the special viewing conditions added to the experience of studying the pictures, making it more of an exploration than a regular viewing.

No one seemed to mind being left in the dark.