Civil Defense
Act 1: Trident Juncture The War Theater
The National Theatre in Bergen, 2017
| sivilforsvaret_katalog_15.4.23.pdf |
This relational and dialogue based project was a direct reaction to the NATO exercise Trident Junctur which was held in Norway at the time. The inner-circle of special guest consisted of: Ingeborg Breines, Ståle Ulriksen, Willy Bangsund, Njål Benkestoch Kjølholdt Gustavsen and Ole Christian Ellestad
Produced by Alltid Beredte Bergens-kunstnere
(ALT GÅR BRA, Frans Jacobi og Gitte Sætre) in collaboration with: Kunsthall 3.14, The Art Academy and the National Theater in Bergen
The project was supported by:
The Municipality in Bergen
TRIDENT JUNCTURE THE WAR THEATER
Den Nasjonale Scene, Bergen 2017
Norwegian citizens got advice on how many crispbread packages are needed to be self-sufficient for three days in a crisis situation, in whicheach of us can play our part in Norway's total defence. What is actually going on? In relation to the degree of intervention in our daily lives, there has been relatively little public debate. A group gathered in the National theater, Den Nasjonale Scene, to discuss what NATO and security policy mean in a larger societal perspective, and how we are all implicated. A group of participants from various professional fields shared their perspectives and views, and the civilian population was invited to listen and ask questions.The initiators are concerned with how art can play a role in society. Artists throughout time have contributed to give visual form to important political events, and thus created platforms for understanding these events.
Can art create an arena for understanding today, by offering an open discussion platform free of direct political targeting and consequence?
That is the question?
Short bio of the participants:
Ingeborg Breines is a humanist and peace activist. She has, among other things, been director of UNESCO (Paris, Islamabad and Geneva) and president of the world's oldest international peace organisation, the International Peace Bureau (IPB).
Hans Jørgen B. Wiborg is a university lecturer in naval power at the Norwegian Defence University/Naval Academy.
Willy Bangsund has been the initiator of sports cooperation with Russia since 1970, a pioneer project for the people-to-people cooperation Norway-Russia. Bangsund has been voted "Spirit of the Year" and has received the Finnmark county's cultural award.
Njål Benkestoch Kjølholdt Gustavsen is a board member of the political rights party, Høyre in Bergen- a friend of the military defense and NATO. He wrote an article in the local newspaper (BT) the 26th of October 2017 where he wonders about the demonstration against Trident Juncture, and he could not understand why some people questioned the importance of NATO and the need of doing militarily training in the Arctic areas -and the importance to protect Norway.
Ole Christian Ellestad is an artist, often working with psychiatry, war and poetry. Experimental projects to reveal hidden alliances and/or find new ones.