The Edvard Munch Award for Contemporary Art was initiated and developed in 2004/2005 by the Office for Contemporary Art Norway to enhance exchange in international contemporary art and highlight the importance and ongoing influence of the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944).
The form of the award is currently being revised by OCA and its Board.
The Edvard Munch Award for Contemporary Art 2006 was awarded to the German artist, writer and curator Alice Creischer by H. M. Queen Sonja of Norway on 14 November 2006.
The Edvard Munch Award for Contemporary Art 2005 was awarded to the Indian artist and filmmaker Amar Kanwar by H. M. Queen Sonja of Norway on 27 April 2005.
Ekely is the former property of the painter Edvard Munch, situated fifteen minutes from the center of Oslo. The residence at Ekely is part of an artist community of semidetached/detached houses and includes living quarters and a small studio. The residence was taken over from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June 2002, and was totallt renovated by Statsbygg and Architect Lillan Wam, and furbished by OCA. It was finished in the spring of 2005, ready for the first Edvard Munch awardee Amar Kanwar to move in in April.
