Viking Discovery Guide - Art

DISCOV ERY GUIDE

Art

D E S T I N AT I O N F O C U S E D . C U LT U R A L LY E N R I C H I N G . C A R E F U L LY C U R AT E D .

Discover A World Of Art With Viking From ever-changing street art and world-class museums to iconic opera performances, the world is home to countless cultural treasures just waiting to be discovered. From large scale festivals and events, to visits to artist workshops and studios, the arts draw visitors to metropolitan and regional locations across the globe, providing opportunities to share and discover local creativity and culture.

For the traveller who can spend days wandering the streets of new cities taking photos of doors and details, or the one for whom the city’s galleries and museums are the main drawcard, we take you to the heart of these destinations to uncover artistic and musical experiences, while providing opportunities onboard to reflect and immerse yourself in the art and harmony of the destinations you are sailing to.

We invite you to discover the magic of the world of art that awaits.

EDVARD MUNCH'S ART ON BOARD VIKING SUN

By Anthony Dennis, Editor of Traveller The full version of this article originally appeared in the weekly Traveller liftout in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. The Viking Sun is a true cultural flagship. Outside of Oslo, the Norwegian capital, the ship's owner, Viking Cruises, in a serious nod to its Nordic heritage, owns the largest collection of Munch works.

All of the 35 works adorn the walls of vessels such as the Viking Sun, one of six ultra-modern ocean-going ships in the Viking fleet. Viking's art collection, complementing the restrained, light-filled and blondtimbered Nordic-style ship interiors, also includes lauded paintings by Norway's 81-year-old Queen Sonja, once the subject of an Andy Warhol lithograph.

On my circuits around Viking Sun's salubrious decks, it is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the works of the expressionist Munch that most intrigue and inspire. I soon learn that Norway's most celebrated artist first

THE SICK CHILD

THE SUN

took up the brush aged 12, dedicating the rest of what's been described as a nomadic, turbulent and bohemian life to art.

Impressive as it is, Viking's Munch collection pales compared with the painter's own output which saw him, over six decades until his death in 1944, create more than 2000 paintings and tens of thousands of prints.

Aside from the seven original Munch works hanging aboard Viking Sun, including the sensual, perhaps suitably named 1896 lithograph On the Waves of Love, Viking has secured digital rights to the entire collection of the artist's work via a partnership with Olso's venerable Munch Museum.

Each night on a giant screen in Viking Sun's central atrium, a thematic presentation entitled "Munch Moments" showcases a selection of the painter's works, including self-portraits and a cameo by The Scream.

The presentation is accompanied in part by a musical recital which includes works by another notable Norwegian, the 19th-century composer Edvard Grieg.

A confronting swirling motif emblematic of the angst that can suddenly overwhelm the human condition — even in a part of the world known for its phlegmatic natives — The Scream actually consists of four versions painted between 1893 and 1910. It was perfectly described in a verse by Munch in his own diary, with the entry referring to a setting-sun "blood red" sky that left the artist "trembling with anxiety" resulting in "an infinite scream passing through nature".

THE KISS

Fortunately, after five indulgent days of my passage through the watery nature of the vast Pacific, I disembark utterly angst free and fully enlightened about the life and work of the master Munch from a world away, Norway.

Three Ways to Explore the World of Music

GR A ND EUROPE A N CRUISE

Behind the Scenes at the Vienna Boys’ Choir Go behind the scenes with the worldrenowned Vienna Boys’ Choir. Since 1948, the Palais Augarten has served as a school for the modern-day descendant of the boys’ choir. In their day, Mozart and Bruckner both performed with them, and Schubert and Haydn sang with them as youths. Tour the rehearsal rooms then enjoy a private concert, after which you will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with choir members.

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You will find several talented resident musicians on board a Viking cruise, and your journey with us will include a number of sensational live performances. But if you are looking for a particularly music-centric journey, the following itineraries are a must…

BALTIC JEWELS & THE MIDNIGHT SUN

WATERWAYS OF THE TSA R S

Grieg’s House & Recital & Fantoft Stave Church

St. Petersburg Ballet Performance

Travel south of Bergen to visit Troldhaugen, where famed Norwegian composer and pianist Edvard Grieg and his wife lived for 22 years. Norway’s most celebrated son, he was inspired

by Norwegian folk music and sought to raise its profile in his composing and performances. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor and Peer Gynt. Enjoy an exclusive recital of his music before returning to your ship.

Attend the ballet in St. Petersburg, city of Baryshnikov and Nureyev, amid the city’s rich theatre scene. Enjoy a breathtaking performance from a world-famous ballet, such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker or Giselle. Marvel at the grace and elegance of these refined dancers and the rhapsodic musical arrangements that have enraptured St. Petersburg theatregoers for generations.

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DISCOVER OUR ONBOARD ART COLLECTION While many of our onboard experiences are inspired by the destinations to which we travel, our onboard art collection is an acknowledgement of our Nordic heritage.

For each Viking ship, we have carefully selected a diverse range of works produced by both established and up-and-coming Norwegian artists.

These artworks come in all forms — from oil paintings and photographs to sculptures and tapestries — and perfectly complement the light-filled, Scandinavian-style interiors of our award winning ships. We have also been granted the digital rights to the entire collection of Norway’s most famous artist, Edvard Munch, thanks to our exclusive relationship with Oslo’s Munch Museum. Each afternoon in the Living Room, we bring the master expressionist’s works to life with ‘Munch Moments’ — an interactive event that showcases several pieces of Munch’s art at a time, curated by theme.

To further enhance your onboard experience, we encourage you to download our free Viking Art Guide smartphone app and enjoy a selfguided audio tour of our onboard art collection. The app is easy to use on both Apple and Android devices, and includes insightful commentary from artists, designers, curators and other industry experts.

THE ART OF EXPLOR ATION On board a Viking cruise, you’ll find a diverse range of artworks, including one of the largest collections of pieces by expressionist Edvard Munch. But if you are after a particularly art-packed adventure, the following shore excursions are for you.

ARLES IN VAN GOGH’S FOOTSTEPS During his 15 months in Arles, Vincent van Gogh descended into madness and completed 200 paintings. Express your artistic side during a painting class at La Couverture Verte (“the Green Blanket”), at Arles’s Siqueiros Fine Arts School, perhaps calling on the creative spirit of the great painter.

Then admire some of the sites in Arles that were immortalised by van Gogh, including Place du Forum, where he depicted beautiful landscapes and local café life.

Find it on… France’s Finest VIEW ITINER ARY

THE ART OF TR ADITIONAL BALI Bali has a rich and colourful traditional arts and crafts scene.

From the distinctive artistry and technique that go into producing the famous batik cloth, to the skilled wood carvers whose craft was once reserved purely for royal families and religious purposes, and the village of Celuk, home of the regions traditional silver and gold jewelers.

Find it on… South Pacific Sojourn VIEW ITINER ARY

MONET FOUNDATION GIVERNY Visit Giverny, the village that Monet called home from 1883 until his death in 1926. Explore the artist’s home and gardens, now a museum dedicated to the great painter. The house with its pink, crushed-brick facade and green shutters is furnished as it was when he lived here, and contains his precious collection of Japanese engravings. Stroll the gardens to see firsthand the landscapes that grace Monet’s paintings.

Find it on… Paris & the Heart of Normandy VIEW ITINER ARY

GAUDÍ THE GREAT ARCHITECT OF MODER NISM Witness the evolution of Antoni Gaudí’s creative genius as you tour some of his distinctive works. Visit Casa Vicens on a Privileged Access tour, the first project for which the worldrenowned architect was commissioned at just 30 years of age.

Next, view his unfinished masterpiece, La Sagrada Família, whose cathedral towers are still under construction today.

Complete your tour with a visit to the Passeig de Gràcia, where you will visit the Casa Batlló, or “House of Bones.”

Find it on… Iconic Western Mediterranean VIEW ITINER ARY

ART & HERITAGE INFUSE YOUR EVERY MOMENT

Expand your horizons on elegant, intimate ships, thoughtfully designed by experienced nautical architects and designers to help you connect with your destination in every way.

Centuries ago, amid the rugged nature of Norway, the Viking Age was born.

As it flourished, exploration became a Norwegian tradition. Today, we proudly carry this tradition, with our elegant ships built for discovery.

Our sleek vessels explore the far corners of the globe, but wherever we sail, we take a little bit of our homeland with us.

Take a moment to learn about our many Norwegian influences on board.

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