Chapter V

 June 23, 2014

  Oslo

Part I: Class

 The primary reason for coming to Norway is academic enrichment. In my applications and proposals I tried to make a strong case that I needed to come here specifically to study and I happen to believe that wholeheartedly. So it was with lively anticipation that I made my way to class on the first Monday. 

 With the promise of mental stimuli and art historical investigation on the near horizon every sculpture and painting I passed on my way to class seemed a little more vivid and noteworthy. It was their story that I was going to learn. There is even a bust by premier Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland right beside the classroom door.  

I was the first student to arrive, usually this indicates that I have entered the wrong classroom but not in this case. The professor was already there and it was a great joy to meet him. He is an American professor who has a past in both design and art history. He was generous enough to share some of his story and to listen to mine. He has taken great interest in what my leading interests are and has continually proven to be helpful above and beyond the professorial call of duty. 

Over the course of the next fifteen minutes the rest of the class filtered into the room. The background and academic interests are highly varied. A few of us are students of art history but most are not. There are backgrounds in literature, urban development, jurisprudence, graphic design, metalwork, and others. Interestingly, despite the differing interests, there was one theme that emerged quickly: the interest in Norwegian art was sharpened by the lack of availability to study it in our respective countries of origin. Another common denominator that became evident quickly is that my classmates are distinctly wonderful people almost without exception. 

The lectures are extremely interesting to me as they are exactly what I had hoped they would be: a survey of Norwegian art that would introduce me to the important themes and figures in the narrative and then equipping me with the tools to "problematize" that very narrative. Delightfully, these lectures are supplemented by frequent visits to museum, galleries, and historical sites of which Norway has many. 

For those who skimmed the drier parts of the previous paragraphs I was basically just saying my class is great. It is. 

Part II: Welcome Ceremony

A rewarding day of scholarly investigation was not the only enjoyment of the day. That night the city of Oslo welcomed our group as ambassadors of a sort. The Welcome Ceremony was at the University Aula downtown in a beautiful room saturated with the work of Norway's favorite painter Edvard Munch. So at the appointed time in our most formal attire we piled into buses for the trip downtown. It is worth noting how interesting it is to see such a varied group of people interpret "formal attire." One jolly chap even had on a cowboy hat.

 In the ceremony we were treated with kind words of welcome from administrators of the city and the university. In the beginning the speaker welcomed without any further details, "your highness." To this moment I have no idea which member of the royal house graced us with their presence (if indeed it was a member of the royal house). Then we were treated to a performance by a musical group who were brought together for just this occasion. To celebrate the international quality of our program they performed traditional (stereotypical) pieces of music from around the world. I admit with some trepidation that I recognized Brazil's but not the USA's. Though it elicited great amounts of laughter and mirth from the general crowd so I guess it was a success. 

After the Welcome Ceremony we walked a couple of blocks down the street to the City Hall for the reception where we would be served fine food and drinks in the ever-soothing atmosphere of a live jazz band. The City Hall itself is treasure trove of painting with frescoes covering the walls celebrating the different elements of Norwegian life and history. 

Not too far into the evening a rather strange and unpleasant noise began to echo throughout the hall. At first I thought the jazz band was kicking things up with some experimental material, but instead it turned out to be something much more exciting: (unless you are intensely interested in experimental jazz) it was a fire alarm. Norway has lost many an important historical building to fires because of their affinity for woodwork so they take these things seriously. I guess most places take fire alarms seriously, come to think of it, but it has a certain urgency here. So with frankness and promptness we were ushered out into the Norwegian night (which of course is much like the Norwegian day since the sun never goes down here) with not a cowboy hat left behind. 

A few folks had brought out their refreshments with them and were contentedly sitting on the steps munching away. The vast majority of us however just milled around trying to seem amused with the whole situation. I, in particular, was eager to return inside for a promised tour of the upper floor but in the meantime milled with the best of the millers. At long last (about five minutes) the fire department arrived. A lone fireman dismounted the fire truck and we parted down the middle for him to enter the building as if he were Moses and we the Red Sea. With great courage which I'm sure he found in his Viking roots he entered the wailing building. We waited with bated breath. The munchers stopped munching, the millers stopped milling. 

Whatever mysterious skills he possessed and in which manner he employed them we will never know but he reemerged very shortly and the alarm was off. He walked back down through the midst of us with the smile of victory. We all cheered and applauded. It was an inspirational moment and we were glad that the City Hall would stand for at least one more night. 

Consequently I did get my tour of the upper rooms which contained even more frescoes and paintings, (including a wonderful collection of royal portraits), charming examples of Norwegian decor and design, and beautiful view over the Oslo fjord.

Later we crowded back into the buses and returned to Blindern where I'm sure we all had a wonderful night's sleep in preparation for another day of excitement.