Kunst og litteratur: Mariken Lauvstad
The conversation series Kunst og litteratur is back! On Thursday, October 9 at 18, we welcome you to a conversation between Lotte Konow Lund and Mariken Lauvstad, author of the book Kampen om kunsten. Et forsvar for kulturens rolle i demokratiet (Res Publica, 2025).
How should art mobilize politically? We constantly hear that art is inherently free and essential to freedom of expression – but can art truly be called free if it is tightly bound to capital? And how can it be important for freedom of expression if it only reaches a small group? These are some of the questions Konow Lund will discuss in her conversation with Lauvstad.
Mariken Lauvstad (b. 1983) is a theatre critic, cultural commentator, dramaturg, and educator, and a regular contributor to Klassekampen. This is her first book.
Lotte Konow Lund (b. 1967) is a visual artist and professor at KHiO. She has previously held solo exhibitions at several Norwegian art museums such as Lillehammer Kunstmuseum (2016), Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (2016), and the Vigeland Museum (2011). Konow Lund has published the books Om kunst – 25 kunstnersamtaler (Forlaget Oktober, 2021) and Dagbøkene 2014–2016 (Teknisk Industri, 2016), and in 2025 she presented the major solo exhibition Det hun sa at KODE.
Mariken Lauvstad. Photo: Siw Pessar
Lotte Konow Lund. Photo: Ellen Lande Gossner
About the book, the publisher writes:
Norwegian cultural life is in crisis. Public funding is being cut, cultural journalism is in decline, and populist forces are creating a climate hostile to the arts—where art is labeled elitist, expensive, and ridiculous.
In the book, author Mariken Lauvstad analyzes various cultural debates, such as the threat of closure facing Oslo Nye Teater, the influence of the Sløseriombudsmannen (Waste Ombudsman) on public discourse about art, and TV 2’s controversial slogan: “Less niche art films – more of what you actually want to watch.” The author shows how the idea of art as a force for building society is far more alien today than it was when the cultural policy of the social democratic postwar era was being shaped. Now that the far right poses a threat to the free society, we need art—as a space for visions, critique, aesthetics, and community—more than ever, the author argues. Democracy suffers if we don’t fight for art.
The conversation series Kunst og litteratur is part of Oslo Kunstforening’s ongoing program Tidsrommet, with activities taking place on the ground floor of our premises. Tidsrommet is supported by Oslo Municipality and Sparebankstiftelsen DNB.
