The idyllic scenes of Edvard Munch's monumental Freia frieze, a series of 12 canvases commissioned in 1922, have been a staple of Oslo's cultural scene for nearly a century. However, as the latest exhibition at the Munch Museum in Oslo reveals, this artwork is far more than just a decorative flourish - it holds a complex web of social and economic secrets that shed light on some of the darkest chapters in human history.
The frieze was originally intended to adorn the walls of the women's canteen at the Freia chocolate factory in Oslo. At first glance, this may seem like a noble gesture by the company to its female employees. Yet, curator Ana María Bresciani suggests that there is more to it than meets the eye. The period of the frieze's creation, 1922-1923, was a transformative time for Norwegian labour rights, with the introduction of the eight-hour workday and summer holidays. However, many of the young women employed at Freia would have had little experience of the leisurely scenes Munch depicted, hinting that the art may have been intended to educate or inspire them rather than reflect their daily lives.
As visitors navigate the exhibition, they are confronted with the exploitative and often racist history of Freia's cocoa sourcing. Initially sourced from South America and the Caribbean, and later Ghana (then a British colony), this complex web of global inequalities is woven into the very fabric of consumer goods. The seemingly innocent scenes in Munch's frieze take on a new layer of complexity when viewed through this lens.
Financial disparities were also a contentious issue at the time. Chocolate magnate Johan Throne Holst paid Munch 80,000 Norwegian kroner for the works - a sum equivalent to approximately £192,000 today - while factory workers earned meagre wages. This significant expenditure sparked criticism, with an Oslo newspaper, Arbeiderbladet, reporting in October 1923 that "While the workers are kept on starvation wages, large capital is invested in costly paintings, which in time could be sold at a large profit."
The exhibition provides a timely reminder of the global impact of consumer choices and the need for greater transparency in supply chains. As Freia's production remains largely based in Oslo, but its ownership now lies with US food giant Mondelēz International, questions arise about the legacy of this chocolate company and its place in modern society.