Moved in secret
Earlier this year, the University of Oslo and the City of Oslo Art Collection entered into a long-term loan agreement for Spheric Theme II. Under the agreement, the work has been loaned to UiO for 25 years and will be displayed in Livsvitenskapsbygningen.
Moving the sculpture and its plinth, which together weigh more than 300 kilograms, from central Oslo to Gaustadbekkdalen required careful planning. For security reasons, both the planning process and the timing of the move were kept confidential.
On Tuesday 13 October, the sculpture was installed inside Livsvitenskapsbygningen, by the main entrance. Here, the sculpture is now accessible for students, employees and visitors to enjoy.
A connection to Norway
Naum Gabo and his brother, Antoine Pevsner, lived in Kristiania—now Oslo—during the First World War, from 1914 to 1917. It was in Kristiania that Gabo laid the foundations for his Constructivist practice, and he later became one of the movement's leading figures. None of the brothers' works from this period have been preserved in Norway.
In 1967, the University of Oslo acquired Gabo's Constructed Head No. 2 for its new Blindern campus. Later, the City of Oslo also sought a work by the artist, who had by then become internationally renowned. The result was Spheric Theme, which was first displayed in the atrium of the former Munch Museum, before later being moved to the Agency for Cultural Affairs' sculpture garden at Storgata 25.
Two Gabo works at UiO
With Spheric Theme II now in place, visitors can experience two of Gabo's works within walking distance of one another. Alongside the new sculpture in Livsvitenskapsbygningen, Constructed Head No. 2, which was acquired by UiO in 1967, is on display in the foyer of Sophus Lies auditorium at Blindern. The work is one of eight selected pieces featured in UiO's online art guide, which invites students, employees and visitors to take an art break on campus.
"As we already have Constructed Head No. 2, it means a great deal to us to be able to borrow Spheric Theme II," says Charlotte Wiik, UiO's art manager.
She encourages students and employees to visit both the new sculpture at Livsvitenskapsbygningen and the existing work in Sophus Lies auditorium.
"I hope people will become curious and want to explore the works more closely—and, not least, take the time to appreciate how beautifully the material has been shaped," Wiik concludes.