Nord University’s newest building in Bodø, Noatun, had a price tag of around NOK 650 million, and will be officially opened in September. Recently, two large wooden sculptures designed as dragons were installed outside the building. At the same time, there are close to 20 framed drawings indoors spread over three floors. The price tag: NOK 3 million. You can walk between the dragon sculptures to get to the university. Photo: Kasper Holgersen / news When the state starts a new building project, a certain sum must be invested in art. It was adopted in a royal resolution from 1997. – It is, to put it mildly, very provocative. This is what Storting representative Silje Hjemdal (Frp) says, who is faction leader in the family and culture committee in the Storting. Want to remove Koro Koro is the state’s professional body for art in public space and is subject to the Ministry of Culture. It is Koro that produces, manages and communicates art in public buildings, such as at Nord University in Bodø. Nord University’s newest building, Noatun. Photo: Kasper Holgersen / news The professional body received 25 million for operating expenses and 43 million for special operating expenses from the Ministry of Culture and Equality in 2024. – It costs an enormous amount of money to have that type of organization, thinks the Frp politician. Hjemdal believes that the resolution makes public building projects more expensive and that the requirement to decorate public buildings should be removed. – This seems like a very expensive and bureaucratic arrangement. There must be other ways for artists to get commissions without the state having a separate scheme to stimulate special artists to get commissions, says Hjemdal. Silje Hjemdal believes it is high time to review the scheme as it works today. Photo: Ida Yasin ANDersen Hjemdal thinks it’s nice when you decorate buildings, but believes that the arrangement could have been done in other ways. – The Progress Party does not want this percentage rule. We want to close down Koro, but are willing to look at other schemes that can ensure the decoration of public buildings. Hjemdal proposes, among other things, to present art that is in museum storage. Important for well-being Koro’s director Sigurd Sverdrup Sandmo believes the professional body fulfills important social functions in Norway, and dismisses Hjemdal’s criticism. – Art is important for creating good public meeting places for everyone. Public art promotes well-being, democratic values and openness to new ideas. – Art contributes to innovation and learning and curiosity in university environments, Sigurd Sandmo believes. Photo: Niklas Hart Sandmo believes that Koro’s tasks must be solved regardless. – Without Koro, the state would have to solve the same tasks in other and perhaps more expensive ways. – Everyone wants public building projects with identity and appeal. Koro works closely with government developers and is an affordable organization to run. Most of the funds allocated from Koro’s budgets come as commissions to artists, explains Sandmo. In that way, Koro is a cultural political tool that contributes to a vibrant artistic life, believes the director. The sculptures outside Nord University made of wood. Photo: Kasper Holgersen / news Nordland – Public building projects have always generated commissions for artists, and that’s how it should be. Koro is a small organization with specialist expertise in art production, and in communicating and preserving the community’s values. Sandmo believes it is important that everyone should have the opportunity to take part in the arts. At the same time, the professional body will develop contemporary art and give artists commissions and income. It is not the first time there has been a reaction to art in public space: Life, health and education first – Are there not enough good points to leave the law as it is? – No, I don’t think so. I understand your point of view, but have a completely different priority. Life, health and education come first. We must prioritize the most important things first, says Frp politician Silje Hjemdal. Norwegian universities must tighten up. Nord University must cut scientific activity and administration as a result of increased financial challenges. – We are faced with a demanding but necessary task of restructuring and reducing our costs significantly. With an expected necessary cost reduction in the order of NOK 80 million in 2025, it is crucial that we make long-term and strategic decisions, stated chairman Øyvind Fylling-Jensen in a press release. Downsizing and severance packages have become part of everyday life in academia. The universities in this country must cut three-digit million sums. Several of the country’s universities are planning savings of around NOK 100 million in their budgets for next year. Leader of the Academics, Lise Lyngsnes Randeberg. Photo: Margret Helland / news The academics, which is a trade union for employees at universities and colleges, are very concerned about the cuts that are now to be implemented. – Research is incredibly important. Cutting what we will live on in the future is incredibly short-sighted. We get frustrated when reports come in from all over the country about cut after cut in universities, colleges and the knowledge sector. That’s what the head of Akademikerne, Lise Lyngsnes Randeberg, says, who nevertheless believes that we must not underestimate the importance of having a good time around us. She believes the FRP’s proposal to cut art in public spaces is a side track. – It is a trifle and a symbolic matter that the politicians use to get the focus away from what is really important. What we need to discuss are the general cuts in the sector. Forskerforbundet believes that the debate around art in public space is a derailment. The Forskerforbundet also believes that the debate around Koro is a derailment. – It is not art in new buildings that is the cause of the difficult situation, which we see in the knowledge sector. Grants are too low over time, but I see why it is tempting to pit them against each other. That’s what the leader of the Swedish Research Association, Guro Elisabeth Lind, says. – Bad idea State Secretary Erlend Kaldestad Hanstveit (Ap) in the Ministry of Culture and Equality believes it is positive that money is prioritized for art and decorations in public buildings. – KORO consists of skilled professionals who know a lot about managing, producing and communicating art, to the delight of people in over a thousand places throughout the country, writes Hanstveit. Photo: Ilja C. Hendel – Hjemdal believes the resolution makes the construction project more expensive and that the money could have been used elsewhere. What do you think about that? – It’s a bad idea. Art adds quality to the buildings and creates joy for the users of the buildings. And then we have to clarify that the extent of the decorations varies – it is only the most important buildings and areas that get the highest percentage. Since the 1960s, there has been broad political agreement that the state should have an artist policy and facilitate artistic activities throughout the country, writes Hanstveit. – We believe that this is a value of Norwegian society that is worth taking care of. – There are complicated and large projects related to art and decoration in public buildings, and then it is important that there are solid professional environments with the necessary expertise. Published 01.08.2024, at 05.22
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“forced” to invest in art – news Nordland
