The Ibsen quotes is a permanent work of art in Oslo

Oslo

Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

, Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, officially known as Ibsen Sitat. Famous quotes from Henrik Ibsen

Henrik Ibsen

Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...

 are incorporated into the sidewalks of prominent city streets.

History

The initiative was taken by Sune Nordgren, inspired by a similar project involving August Strindberg

August Strindberg

Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg's career spanned four decades, during which time he wrote over 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography,...

 quotes in Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. In 2001, Gavin Jantjes was appointed curator of the work. Sixty quotes in steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

 lettering were to be set into the sidewalks. The work was to be completed by 2006, the 100th anniversary of Henrik Ibsen's death. As a result of delays, by 2006 only three quotes had been laid, at a cost of . The Swedish artist duo FA+ had been selected to handle the quotes, but they resigned from the project in May 2006. NOK 400,000 came from the Arts Council Norway and the foundation that oversaw the 100th anniversary, but some of the funds were used for other causes. The group behind the project, the Ibsen Foundation, explained that in their view the money had not been specifically earmarked.

In 2006, the Ibsen Foundation was relieved of involvement in the project. Between 2006 and 2008, the project advanced, resulting in a work of art consisting of 69 quotes and 4,011 letters. The quotes are strewn along a trail between the Ibsen Museum

The Ibsen Museum (Oslo)

The Ibsen Museum occupies the last home of the playwright Henrik Ibsen and is located close to the Royal Palace at Henrik Ibsens gate 26 in Oslo, Norway.-The Dramatist's last home in Kristiania 1895-1906:...

 and Ibsen's favorite haunt, the Grand Café

Grand Hotel (Oslo)

Grand Hotel is a hotel in Oslo, Norway. The hotel is best known as is the annual venue of the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.Grand Hotel is situated in a very central location on the main thoroughfare, the Karl Johans gate, between the Norwegian Parliament building and the Royal Palace. It is...

. Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR

Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR

Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR is a Norwegian foundation. The foundation gives financial contributions to a wide range of charitable causes, and is the second largest shareholder of the financial services company DnB NOR. The foundation's capital is a result of accumulated profits from the former...

 contributed a total of to the project.

Criticism

The artwork has been criticized for displaying quotes by the famous author in a random and not always understandable way. Per Jæger, project leader since 2006, replied that it was among the most accessible works of art in Norway, and that ordinary people had been asked to pick some of the quotes. He said that it would become a "tourist attraction on a par with Fram

Fram Museum

The Fram Museum is a museum telling the story of Norwegian polar exploration. It is located on the peninsula of Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway.Fram Museum is situated in an area with several other museums, including the Kon-Tiki Museum; the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History; the Viking Ship Museum;...

 and the Holmenkollen ski jump

Holmenkollen ski jump

Holmenkollbakken is a large ski jumping hill located at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. It has a hill size of HS134, a construction point of K-120, and a capacity for 30,000 spectators. Holmenkollen has hosted the Holmenkollen Ski Festival since 1892, which since 1980 have been part of the FIS Ski...

". The work has also been criticized as being unsuitable for city streets, creating additional requirements for cleaning and repair.

Peculiarities

Hyphens are used for dashes and the work’s title “Ibsen Sitat”, a separated composite, is, both according to the historical and the present official rule, grammatically incorrect.