A sculptor – who rose to the highest art position in Norway. A composer – who was regarded as the equal of Puccini and Strauss. An author – who was awarded the Nobel Prize.

Three artists with one thing in common. They all chose the wrong side during the Second World War.

This week’s podcast is about cancel culture – as practiced after the war by Norwegian society. These three artists were treated very differently. One of them was imprisoned – but his works left in place. One of them was safe and sound at the heart of the Norwegian canon. And the third vanished as if he had never existed. 

The sculptor is Wilhelm Rasmussen

The composer is Christian Sinding

The author is Knut Hamsun

CONTACT

Twitter: @northbynorway

Mail: [email protected]

EPISODE PHOTO

In 1926, a full-scale cardboard model of the Saga Column was erected in front of Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament building, to test public opinion. When the stone column was finally erected outside the Elveseter Hotel, the lion at its crown was replaced by one of King Harald Fairhair.

Photographer: Edmund Neupert. Owned by Oslo byarkiv. (Licence: CC BY-SA)

MUSIC

00:00North by Norway 

written on GarageBand by Andrew J. Boyle, using the Norwegian folksong ‘I Ola-dalom, i Ola-tjønn’

03:10Sagasøyla

written on GarageBand by Andrew J. Boyle

07:45Nocturne

Edvard Grieg, op. 54, no. 4

performed on GarageBand by Andrew J. Boyle

14:50Rustle of Spring 

Christian Sinding

performed on GarageBand by Andrew J. Boyle

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