Selvaag Gruppen invites national and international sculptors to carve portrayals from "Peer Gynt".

Peer, Mor Aase, Solveig, Anitra, Bukken and Bøygen - Selvaag Gruppen will see to it that all these "Peer Gynt" characters are brought together in the new Oslo district of Løren. "Oslo has the internationally famous Munch Museum and Vigelandsparken (the Vigeland sculpture park). Henrik Ibsen is known the world over, but there are few monumental depictions of his works. We want to change this. We intend to display a variety of sculptures illustrating scenes from his best known work "Peer Gynt", says Selvaag Gruppen President and CEO Ole Gunnar Selvaag.

Sculpture has been part of the Selvaag Gruppen tradition since the fifties, and the majority of Selvaag's housing developments have at least one sculpture for residents' enjoyment. Now Selvaag wants to take this tradition a significant step further by hosting an international sculpture competition based on Ibsen's "Peer Gynt". "We are in the process of developing a new Oslo district at Løren, and we want to do something extra with the area," says Ole Gunnar Selvaag. When the collection is complete, with enough sculptures to illustrate the story of "Peer Gynt", the works will be placed on display in the neighbourhood. "We want to use this competition to generate figurative sculpture designs appropriate for a residential environment," explains host Selvaag. Three sculptures have already been commissioned. These will be exhibited in 2006, designated Ibsen Year - one hundred years since the writer's death. Sculptors Elena Engelsen/Per Ung, Jim Dine and Enzo Cucchi will carve the pieces. A jury comprised of Peder Lund (Lund Fine Art), Kim Brandstrup (Galleri Brandstrup), Kirsten Kokkin (sculptor), Vigdis Ystad (Centre for Ibsen Studies), Ellen Horn (actress, Nationaltheatret) and Ole Gunnar Selvaag (President and CEO of Selvaag Gruppen) will select the winners from the best designs. The international sculpture competition will be publicised in a total of 14 countries. The deadline for design submissions is 1st March 2005. The competition was launched at an event in Selvaag Gruppen's recently restored "Kanonhall" at Løren in Oslo today. Attending were Oslo's Mayor Per Ditlev-Simonsen, internationally famous actress Wenche Foss, and actor and Ibsen expert Knut Wigert. "This initiative will provide enjoyment for the city and its citizens. It will give us a unique Ibsen collection to be proud of and cultural heritage we can show the city's visitors. And not least, it will help put the neighbourhood of Løren on the map," said Mayor Ditlev-Simonsen. Knut Wigert congratulated Selvaag Gruppen on its commitment to Henrik Ibsen and said he looked forward to reviewing the artistic contributions as they arrived. For further information contact Marit Albertsen on +47 23 13 71 08 or +47 91 58 25 60. Alternatively click on www.peergynt.selvaag.no.