The article titled “‘The painting is colonial’: cancel culture and a heated media debate in Norway” by Håkon Larsen examines two significant cultural controversies that occurred in Norway in early 2023, which sparked intense public debates about cancel culture, “wokeness,” and identity politics.
The first controversy involved the National Museum’s chief curator stating they wouldn’t display Christian Krogh’s painting “Leiv Eiriksson discovering America” because it was “colonial”.
The second controversy concerned Norwegian publishers considering changes to Roald Dahl’s books based on sensitivity readers’ recommendations.
These events triggered heated discussions in Norwegian newspapers about freedom of speech, cultural heritage preservation, and the influence of identity politics in cultural institutions.
The paper analyzes how these debates reflected tensions between free speech advocacy and minority inclusion efforts, ultimately showing that both the museum and publishers reversed their decisions after public backlash. The author argues that these cases demonstrate how Norwegian cultural institutions are expected to uphold free speech values while navigating contemporary social justice concerns.
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