Munch's Cocoa Dreams: Art, Labor, and Emancipation

A new exhibition at Oslo's Munch museum showcases Edvard Munch's 1922 Freia frieze, a series of 12 canvases originally commissioned for the women's canteen at the Freia chocolate factory. The exhibition, titled "Edvard Munch and the Chocolate Factory," uses the frieze to explore broader themes of workers' rights and the struggle for gender equality.

Curator Ana María Bresciani notes that the period when Munch created the frieze was tumultuous across Europe. The exhibition also delves into the problematic history of Freia's cacao sourcing, which involved exploitation and racism, with origins in South America, the Caribbean, and Ghana.

This exhibition marks the first time the frieze has been displayed outside the factory in Norway, on loan until October. The frieze was installed in 1923, a significant time for Norwegian labor rights, which saw the achievement of an eight-hour workday and summer holidays. However, the idyllic scenes depicted by Munch may not have reflected the daily realities of the young women working at Freia.

Munch's attention to the workers' lives is debated; some suggest his intent was educational, while others, like curator Bresciani, believe his primary motivation was fame, using public commissions as a strategic path to recognition.

Freia, now owned by Mondelēz International, presented itself as a progressive employer, offering benefits such as free baths, manicures, and access to modern facilities. Despite this, contemporary reports from 1923 highlighted the stark contrast between the workers' "starvation wages" and the significant investment in the costly artwork.