On the toilets of the new National Museum, the cleaning supplier ISS has hung up signs that can be printed on if there is a need for cleaning. This figure has caused many to react. Photo: Munevver Yildiz / news On the signs you can also see a figure of a brown man to illustrate a cleaner. All the signs at the museum show the same figure. It has created reactions. Among other things with Ida Evita de Leon from the podcast «Utlendingsnemnda». She spotted one of the signs when she stopped by the museum earlier this week. Ida Evita de Leon is the host of the podcast «Utlendingsnemnda». Photo: Sara Angelica Spelling – I got a bad feeling. Fortunately, that experience did not overshadow the museum’s stunning architecture, exhibits and the diversity of staff I saw at the pre-opening. ISS’s communications manager Tonje Næss says in an e-mail to news that it has never been the intention to offend anyone, and that on the contrary, they have been concerned with showing their diversity. – We take note of the input and will adjust the signs to show our diversity in a better way, writes Næss. Tonje Næss is communications manager at ISS, which, among other things, provides cleaning services to the National Museum. “Press a brown man and get service” Evita de Leon believes that the ISS and the National Museum have slept for an hour. – “Press a brown man and get service” the picture tells us. It is reminiscent of a bad time in history, and unfortunately the repercussions of the colonial era still exist. Among other things, the UN has focused on this. – The buttons are in the public toilets that we do not use. Therefore, we have not caught this, but we are happy to have become aware of this now. We are also pleased that ISS will do something about the case, so that we can ensure greater diversity in these symbols as well, says the National Museum’s press contact Ole-Morten Fadnes. Press contact at the National Museum Ole-Morten Fadnes. Photo: Frode Larsen The leader of the Anti-Racist Center, Hatem Ben Mansour, thinks it is unfortunate that the ISS has used the same figure on all the signs. – The National Museum will be visited by many tourists. It can send the wrong signal of how to see diversity in Norway, says Mansour. ISS has several similar characters that they use in their communication. Hatem Ben Mansour is the leader of the Anti-Racist Center. Photo: Fouad Acharki / news – We use many similar animated people in other contexts and have not received reactions to this before, Næss explains. – It is unfortunate that it is the only figure they show. If they have many different varieties then they should use them, Mansour believes. ISS has several characters they use in their communication. Photo: ISS – Not upset Avisa Oslo’s debate editor Ahmed Fawad Ashraf does not react to the signs. – I’m not upset about this. It’s a button, he says. – Cleaners are white, cleaners are brown, and all other skin colors, Ashraf adds. Seher Aydar is a parliamentary representative for Rødt. She believes there are bigger problems than the figure on the sign. Seher Aydar is a parliamentary representative for Rødt. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB – I might not have thought about that if I saw it. The actual problem is that most cleaners in Norway are women or immigrants, and they earn so little. Public debater and author Mala Wang Naveen finds the signs a bit clumsy. – I experience ISS as a company with great diversity within. That they do not see that this is unfortunate is a pity. Mala Wang Naveen is a former commentator in Aftenposten. She is both a writer and a public debater. Photo: private She thinks the intention was good and that the ISS could have benefited from it if they had varied the use of figures at the museum, instead of just using one. – It is also a pity that a heavyweight like the National Museum has not captured this.
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