Kjære venner av fotografiet og venner av Preus museum,

Dear friends of the photography and friends of Preus Museum,

Preus museum is one of Norway’s many cultural institutions which try to do most of their communication in both Norwegian and English. This opening and jubilee has a number of international guests. Therefore I will - like the speakers before me - give my speech in two languages.

Det er en glede å komme hit til Horten i dag for å feire Preus museums 10 – års jubileum sammen med dere. Det er en stor uke for norsk kulturliv i jubileumsåret 2005. Jeg kommer rett fra åpningen av Festspillene i Bergen. Det er åpning i dag også på den andre siden av Oslo-fjorden, for Momentum i Moss. Kjartan Slettemark åpner en utstilling i dag på Haugar Vestfold Kunstmuseum og Nasjonalmuseet åpner sin storsatsning ”Kyss frosken-Forvandlingens kunst” til helgen.

Som østfolding må jeg si at det er særlig gledelig å se at Preus museum samarbeider med Momentum i Moss. Det er jo to svært ulike institusjoner. Men de har begge en sværtviktig rolle å spille i nærmiljøet. Og begge har en nærhet til hovedstaden som gir store muligheter. Det at dere ser potensialet for samarbeid. Det er en glede å se at dette potensialet for et samarbeide i Oslofjordregionen nå har manifestert seg i prosjektet "To for en!".

I would like to say a few words about Preus museum. Today, the museum celebrates 10 years as a National museum of photography. This spring the museum has been renewed, with a new - semi-permanent - exhibtion architecture and a shorter name. It is with a positive interest that we in the Ministry of Cultural and Church Affairs observe how this still young institution approaches the great challenge of renewing the mediation of the history of photography. This last approach is at the forefront of the exhibtion "Photography's Expanded Field".

I would like to dwell a little on the term 'expanded field'. This is a term that today has invaded our common language - it has become a part of the vocabulary also in cultural politics. But what does it mean? I am sure that Preus museum has a very specific meaning relating to this event, but I would like to stress the general meaning of the word. An 'expanded field' - to me - is the cultural situation we all experience, a situation where it is perhaps not so easy to keep the different sectors of society apart. And maybe it is not even desirable to keep the different sectors of society in their secure place. In today´s multicultural environment, the interdisciplinary approach seems very relevant to me! And I think this is what we see an example of in this exhibition.

I would like to congratulate Preus museum on the 10 year anniversary and also the city of Horton and Vestfold Fylkeskommune with the wonderful environment you have managed to create for the museum here at Karljohansvern.

I hereby declare the exhibtion for open – and do hope it becomes a 'summer hit'!