Edvard Munch and the Chocolate Factory

Marta Breen (b. 1976) is an award-winning Norwegian author, journalist and public speaker who focuses on women’s history, feminism and the arts. She is a regular columnist for the newspaper Dagsavisen. Breen has published bestsellers such as Women in Battle (2018), Om muser og menn (On Muses and Men, 2019) and The Patriarchy Falls (2021). As a journalist, she has worked for the newspaper Dagbladet and the broadcasters RadiOrakel and NRK. Breen has given internationally renowned lectures on gender equality and the struggle for women’s rights in countries such as Egypt, Russia and Brazil, and has also received awards for her engagement in this field. Ana María Bresciani (b. 1978) is a curator and writer at the Munch Museum in Oslo. Bresciani has extensive experience as a curator and senior curator at KORO (Public Art Norway) and Henie Onstad Kunstsenter. In addition to important solo exhibitions for artists such as Per Barclay, Kåre Kivijärvi, Jumana Manna and Catherine Opie, she has curated several group exhibitions relating to historical and societal themes. As a writer, Bresciani has contributed articles on art in public space, institutional practice and interdisciplinary projects exploring art's role in public debate. Chipo Dendere (b. 1980) is a political scientist at Wellesley College in the USA and a specialist in African studies. Her work stretches across African politics, democracy and dictatorships, to the global challenges in the cacao industry. Her critically acclaimed book Death, Diversion, and Departure (2026) shows how authoritarian regimes in Zimbabwe are not only surviving but becoming stronger as the number of young and well-informed voters dwindles. Dendere’s research also provides important insights into the difficult history of the cacao industry and the global challenges faced by the industry today. Per Petterson (b. 1952) grew up in Oslo and is now one of Norway’s most award-laden and internationally renowned authors. Petterson has a unique ability to vividly depict people and the environments they inhabit. In 1987 he made his debut with the short story collection Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes, and in 2003 his breakthrough came with Out Stealing Horses, which won the Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize, the Norwegian Critics’ Prize for Literature and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Later works such as I Curse the River of Time (winner of the 2009 Nordic Council Literature Prize) and You Are Home Now (2026) have confirmed his talent for exploring existential themes such as loss, time and family relationships. His books have been translated into over 50 languages.

• Cacao Promises: Edvard Munch and the Freia FriezeAna María Bresciani‘The Little Chocolate Girls’ – Who Were They?Marta BreenMunch, and My Mum in ConfectionariesPer PettersonThe Bittersweet Chocolate: Historical and Contemporary NarrativesChipo DendereFrom a Ball of Ice to Monumental Frieze: The Work of the ConservatorsNina Mauno Schjønsby in conversationwith Lina Wulff Flogstad and Mie MustadExhibited Works and Archival Material List of IllustrationsAuthors’ Biographies