Institutional and Ideological Context

 
In Norway, governmental power is formally shared between the King, the Parliament and the Judiciary. The Parliament (Stortinget) is the legislative authority, has the power to allocate funds and decides on the constitution of the Government. The King formally passes government resolutions. The power of the King is purely constitutional and the real decision-making authority is vested in the Government, supported by Parliament. The Government passes resolutions following deliberation sessions, which are neither formal nor public, but are nevertheless binding on the members of the Cabinet and their respective ministries. The Government is collegial, even if the ministers are individually accountable to Parliament. The ministries are responsible for realising government policies through their various directorates and departments, which also supply the data for the ministries to prepare cases for their ministers.

Within this framework, politicians, experts in the different fields and interest groups partake in social and political debates, whereas the ministerial bureaucracy is more withdrawn and concentrates on facilitating, communicating and governing according to a set of rules, which are regularly updated. 

The government offices are made up of 17 ministeries in addition to the Prime Minister’s Office and the cross-ministerial Department Service Centre (DSS). The Government is made up of the Prime Minister and 18 ministers, and there are 85 political appointments in the ministries. The bureaucracy has 4200 employees, in addition to 500 in the DSS. The ministries each employ between 100 and 300 people, except for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has 800 employees (not including employees abroad). All in all, about 5000 people are employed at the government offices in Oslo.

Norway’s institutional framework is reflected in the architecture of power. The Parliament and the Palace are classically monumental both in terms of form and location. The avenue that runs between them plays a strong ceremonial and identity-building role, and still makes up the capital’s physical centre. The Government Building Complex in Hammersborg differs by its more peripheral location in the city centre, and appears campus-like and modernist. The building is huge and primarily consists of functional office blocks. The impression of power is clearly articulated, but it has a different character from that of the Parliament and the Palace.  

The architecture and art of power have traditionally been conceived to inspire a sense of awe and admiration. Earlier art commissions in the Government Building Complex have taken the form of high and late modernist works on the façades, paintings and a few freestanding sculptures by Norwegian artists. They are primarily abstract and have often been integrated into the architecture. These works of art can read as part of the grand, democratic enlightenment project that took place in Norway over the last couple of generations. The most famous art project here, so far, is probably Pablo Picasso’s drawing of fishermen, which was sandblasted onto the façade of the Y-block by Carl Nesjar in 1970.

Pablo Picasso/Carl Nesjar: Fishermen, 1970.© Nesjar /BONO 2010.

A likely scenario is that Hammersborg will increasingly be used for central administrative or ministerial functions. Growing security concerns have resulted in greater control of access and a partial diversion of traffic around the government buildings. Various barriers reflect current attitudes towards the perceived dangers of terrorist attacks and other threats, and these become symbols of power that also affect the area. 

Norway reflects a relatively broad political consensus on certain key questions such as foreign affairs, national security, financial policies and welfare provisions. The main national political traits do not change much even if the party-political composition of Parliament or local government changes. Together with the collaborative nature of working life, this has contributed to political stability in Norway and a sense of social security and individual freedom for a majority of the inhabitants. Nevertheless, politics is still a battle for influence, where values such as freedom, productivity, growth, fairness, security and diversity are constantly being pitted against each other.

Norway is one of the richest nations in the world. The UN Development Programme has deemed Norway the best country in the world to live in for five years running. Norway has an international reputation as an arbiter in conflicts and has played a central role in global environmental affairs. For many people, Norwegian society appears democratic, affluent, egalitarian and open. In relation to an international art commission for the Government Building Complex it might be natural to investigate Norway’s relationship to the world beyond. How does Norway position itself in relation to the major challenges facing humanity, such as war, conflict management, colonialism, imperialism, democracy, human rights and environmental affairs? How has oil wealth affected the Norwegian self-image and the population’s attitudes towards the suffering and poverty of others? Is Norway really a good example of successful, social democratic policies? Or has the humane face of capitalism become capitalism with gold teeth as the cultural historian Nina Witoszek argues?