Your Majesties,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Coming to Scandinavia House here in New York is in many ways like visiting a family. The bonds and shared memories between Norway and our many cousins in the United States are still very strong. Every cultural event, every concert held, every book translated or exhibition shown, is a contribution to the ties between us. For this reason we are particularly happy today to have the opportunity to bring with us from Norway an exhibition of works from Her Majesty Queen Sonja’s private collection. It is an exhibition that will help to further strengthen the bonds between us.

Queen Sonja is an insightful and highly respected art collector, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oslo. She has been curator or co-curator of a number of important exhibitions, among them the “ Winterland” exhibition, which was part of the cultural programme for the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics and which also travelled to Japan, Germany, Spain and the United States. Queen Sonja chaired the exhibition committee and the final selection of works was hers.

With her broad insight into Norwegian and international art, she has over the years built up an important collection of art. Her particular field of interest is Norwegian contemporary art, which you will see good examples of here today.

An important aspect of every family reunion is of course an update of what has happened since we last met. Her Majesty’s aim with this exhibition has been to show the development of Norwegian contemporary art over the last few decades. In recent years we have seen the emergence of many original and talented artists in Norway. These artists have won widespread recognition and admiration, both at home and internationally.

The artists represented here today are Norwegian, and you will see that their art can be identified as Nordic. Their works speak of Norway. They give an artist’s understanding of our country and our people. They speak of our landscapes and our national character, our values, our goals and our world view. Thus, we hope that this exhibition here in Scandinavia House will provide an opportunity for Americans to become more familiar with contemporary Norway.

However, like all important art, the works presented here today combine influences from many and diverse sources, including sources outside their home country. When the artists transform and unite these different elements, they create their own artistic world, which bears their own distinctive signature. In this sense, the exhibition is both Norwegian and international.

Hopefully it will be of interest to both experts and to the general public, and bring pleasure to all those who see it.

On this occasion, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Her Majesty Queen Sonja for her willingness to open the door to her private collection of contemporary Norwegian art. This reflects her sincere concern for art, for the artists and for the public. And – I would add – it makes my job as Minister of Culture and Church Affairs so much easier.

I would also like to thank all those in New York and in Norway who have pooled their talents and energies to bring about this great event.

With these words, I have the pleasure of declaring the exhibition “Norway: Contemporary Landscapes from the Collection of Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway” open.