ART CITIES:Oslo-Elmgreen & Dragset
Ekebergparken inaugurated on 26/9/2013is a sculpture and national heritage park with a strong international art collection surrounded by beautiful scenery, with a panoramic view of the city at Ekeberg in the southeast of the city of Oslo. The Sculpture Park has been initiated and financed by property director and art collector Christian Ringnes.
By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Ekebergparken Archive
Ekebergparken’s Art Collection, which has been selected by an Art Committee, containts 37 sculptures. In addition to its strong international art collection, Ekebergparken aims to be an arena for collaborative, temporary art projects. In 2015 and 2016 the contemporary music festival Ultima arranged light and musical events in the park. Several musical compositions have been performed both inside James Turrell’s Ganzfeldt/Skyspace and in Dan Graham’s Ekeberg Pavilion. Ekebergparken hosts the performance festival Soppen, which was a collaboration with Oslo Pilot and the artist duo Trollkrem. “Dilemma” by Elmgreen & Dragset is the latest addition to Ekebergparken’s Art Collection and it’s the 10th site-specific installation. “Dilemma” depicts a six-year-old boy standing at the edge of a classic diving board. Situated on top of a hill with the boy and diving board facing the Oslofjord, their positioning creates the illusion that he is about to leap into the fjord. In Elmgreen & Dragset’s words: “Perched at the edge of the board, the boy’s crouched posture indicates that he is simultaneously excited and apprehensive about the potential jump”/ The young boy serves as a metaphor for growing up and the uncertainty behind the decisions, actions and expectations that follow the steps into adulthood. Other site-specific works have been conducted by Marina Abramovic, Jenny Holzer, Tony Oursler and George Cutts.