Cultural policy and the politics of display. The establishment of the opera house in Oslo.
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Date
2024Metadata
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Original version
International Journal of Cultural Policy. 2024, . https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2024.2333857Abstract
How can we understand governments’ willingness to make large investments
in iconic cultural buildings? What does this trend tell us about
governments’ cultural policy interests and priorities? In this article we
illuminate these questions based on a study of the framing of the political
decision-making processes associated with the establishment of the
Opera House in Oslo, Norway. Theoretically, we draw on Hans Abbing’s
reflections on the ‘politics of display’. As developed in this article, the
concept of politics of display draw attention to the representative role
accorded to art and culture in cultural policy and the role of cultural policy
in the legitimation of government power. The political debate on the
Opera House, we show, was framed from the outset as a matter of politics
of display, as politicians highlighted the goal of creating identification
with national institutions among Norwegians and a desire to increase
Norway’s international prestige. One conclusion we draw from the study
is that the trend for investments in iconic cultural buildings should make
researchers attentive to the politics of display as an important driving
force in cultural policy. Another conclusion is a call for researchers to be
attentive to the national dimension of cultural policy.