Cultural policy and the politics of display. The establishment of the opera house in Oslo.

Abstract

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.