POLITICS OF AESTHETICS.
THE EKEBERG SCULPTURE AND HERITAGE PARK IN OSLO
Liv Bente BELSNES
Oslo and Akershus University College for Applied Sciences (HiOA), Norway, liv-bente.belsnes@hioa.no
The Ekeberg Park (opened 26.09.2013) is a sculpture and heritage park covering
about 255 hectares on a green hill of forest and fields, situated close to the city
center of Oslo. The park is financed by the CLRS foundation. Places of historical
significance are presented next to renowned art works. However, the area is publicly
owned and has sparked a loud debate concerning the planning process.
In this paper I apply the perspective of the French philosopher Jacques Rancière,
presented in his book Politics of Aesthetics. Here politics exists in constant tension
with «the prevailing order» and the consensus surrounding it because politics is all
about revealing dissensus. Only through dissensus it is possible to open up for
equality and a different world. Since it constantly confronts our habitual perceptions,
art opens up for dissensus (2006).
The implementation of art in the landscape of Ekeberg has raised critical voices and
helped change the way the material and the political landscape is perceived. The
prevailing order surrounding the development of the Ekeberg park has aspects in
common with neoliberalism. The theory of Rancière provides important perceptions
on the link between power, politics and art that are relevant in the investigation of
The Ekeberg Park. Here the political landscape empties itself through consensus. Art
has altered the material and the ideological landscape and this has created new
possibilities for social interaction and commitment. The preservation of the forest has
been the main objective of the protesters.