The history of monochrome painting goes back more than a century. Since Kazimir Malevich revolutionized the art world in 1915 with his "Black Square," which was based on a single colour surface, this artistic form of expression has taken many different paths and never lost its fascination. The distinctive works of Norwegian painter Thomas Pihl join this tradition: they do not tell a story about a motif, but nevertheless, occupy the physical and mental spaces that surround them. They invite the viewer to interact, provoke thought, and give rise to discussion. In his works, Pihl applies the colours to the canvas in many layers, allowing a view of the traces of the working process. The resulting visual world, which in its play of light and colour shows us the nature of perception, is now summarized for the first time in a comprehensive publication.

There are some collectors who through foresight and dedication have built truly outstanding art collections and shared them widely as part of public museums. Among these were Samuel Courtauld in London and Rasmus Meyer in Bergen. At the heart of each man's collection were single artists who were their greatest passions: for Courtauld it was Paul Cezanne and for Meyer, Edvard Munch. This unique collaboration between KODE art museums in Bergen and The Courtauld in London, celebrates these two remarkable collectors and two great artists by showing masterpieces by Cezanne in Bergen and Munch in London. The Courtauld is home to some of the most important paintings by Cezanne, such as The Card Players and Montagne Sainte-Victoire. "Cezanne. Masterpieces from The Courtauld at KODE Art Museum" is the story about how collectors and artists became aware of Cezanne. This publication not only presents ten key works from The Courtauld along with Cezannes from Norwegian collections, it also brings them together with eye witness accounts from the early years of his profound influence, seen through the lens of the Norwegian art scene around 1900. With essays by Barnaby Wright, Oystein Sjastad and Karen Serres and an introduction by Line Daatland. Forewords by Petter Snare and Ernst Vegelin van Claerbergen.