Date: December 1, 2002
Location: Oslo Sentralbanestasjon, Oslo, Norway
Last Updated: July 6, 2013
Various Norwegian artists participated in a project to decorate a Christmas tree for each day in December leading up to Christmas Eve, in a public space outside Oslo Sentralbanestasjon – Oslo’s main railway station. Magne had the honor of decorating the first tree, on December 1, and used his commission fee to create the decorations.
From a-ha.com:
He made stars from banknotes and fastened coins in strings, and hung those on the tree. The banknote-stars and the coins were shimmering in the sun and looked quite beautiful as the tree was installed. “It shows a new quality that we don’t usually associate with money,” Mags says. “It can have an esthetic beauty.”
As could be predicted, the money decorations were stolen from the tree. Magne was undisturbed by this, saying that whoever stole the money ‘completed the project’. Perhaps less predictable was the attention of media; there were articles in news outlets across the globe about the project and the money theft. A selection of coverage is below.
Photo: magnef.org
Related Links:
Article by Rom for Kunst
Photos on Magne’s art site
Fan discussion: West of the Moon
Media:
- 12/05/2002 – BBC: Thieves cash in on Norway tree
- 12/04/2002 – NRK: Pengetreet ribbet i natt
- 12/04/2002 – NRK: Pengetre robbet
- 12/04/2002 – Aftenposten: Furuholmens pengetre ribbet
- 12/04/2002 – MBL: Notaði peninga sem jólaskraut
- 12/03/2002 – a-ha.com: Magne’s Christmas tree
- 12/02/2002 – Boarding: Julekalender på Oslo S
- 12/01/2002 – Aftenposten: Brukte honoraret på juletreet
